He started his journalism career in 1992 as a freelance writer for Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany’s largest daily national newspaper and soon specialised in air transport. Jens joined Aviation Week and Aviation Daily in 2000 as one of the European correspondents. Later his role was expanded to cover international air transport. In 2013 he was named Managing Editor Commercial.
Jens frequently appears on radio and TV to comment on industry matters. In 2003, he received the Hugo Junkers Award of the German aviation press for his coverage of Fairchild Dornier’s bankruptcy. He was named the country’s top travel and air transport writer by the Travel Industry Club three times. Jens graduated from the Munich School of Journalism.
MD-11F operators may have to confront an uncomfortable truth, namely that the cargo aircraft, for all its cost and payload virtues, is so difficult to land that safety could be compromised.
European network airlines are starting to see improving financial performance and are witnessing a return of business to pre-crisis levels in some key areas. Airlines in Europe have been trailing other markets in putting the recent two-year decline in passengers and revenue behind them, but stronger-than-expected cargo operations and structural changes implemented by network carriers are starting to show results. However, the weak economic situation in Europe keeps carriers from celebrating prematurely.
Despite strong second-quarter results, the Lufthansa Group posted an operating loss of €171 million ($224 million) and a net loss of €104 million for the first six months of 2010. In the first half of last year, the company had an operating profit of €8 million but a net loss of €178 million. Revenues in the first six months increased 23.5% to €12.6 billion, partly because the group consolidated BMI and Austrian Airlines. CFO Stephan Gemkow expects a significantly higher profit for the full year than in 2009, when Lufthansa achieved a €103 million profit.
