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.
Romanian airline Tarom will join the SkyTeam alliance as an associate member, the group says. Air France is sponsoring the Tarom application, and will represent Tarom on the SkyTeam board. Associate members do not have as many rights and commitments as full fledged members. Tarom operates a fleet of 21 aircraft and carried 1.8 million passengers last year. SkyTeam’s other associate members are Air Europa, Kenya Airways and Copa Airlines.
Austrian Airlines is edging toward a major strategy shift following last week’s tumultuous shareholder meeting and ongoing uncertainty about attracting a major investor. CEO Alfred Oetsch for the first time admitted that “a stand-alone solution is not sustainable” for the company without Sheikh Mohammed bin Issa al-Jaber’s investing €150 million ($231 million) in return for 20% equity.
Airbus is struggling to regain its competitive footing to take on Boeing, with signs of new A380 problems and the failure to negotiate a sale of key industrial facilities in France. A similar deal in Germany had already fallen through. The site sale and A380 recovery program were integral to efforts Airbus spelled out in late 2006 to overcome financial and programmatic problems that had shaken it to the core.
