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.
Etihad Airways carried 43% more passengers in the first five months of the year. The airline said it is on track to reach its target of 6 million passengers in 2008, after having carried 2.8 million up to June. Etihad reached a load factor of 73%. The airline will take delivery of another seven aircraft this year and operate 45 by the end of 2008.
Iberia and ST Aerospace officially set up a 50:50 joint venture yesterday that focuses on Airbus aircraft landing gear maintentance. The new company, Madrid Aerospace Service, will offer services for Airbus A320s, A330s and A340s and broaden Iberia’s MRO product offering. The unit is based at Madrid Barajas Airport.
Eyeing growth into 2020, Etihad Airways plans to announce an order for up to 100 aircraft -- a mix of narrowbodies and widebodies -- at the Farnborough Air Show, an airline official says. A narrowbody buy would reinforce an earlier decision to move into shorter-haul Gulf and Mideast markets, but Etihad is also a top candidate to order the new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. It would be only the second airline after Lufthansa to buy the passenger version of the new 747 variant.
