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.
Lufthansa hopes to broaden its product portfolio as it enters significant partnerships with TUI and DHL. Late last month, Lufthansa and travel concern TUI signed a memorandum of understanding to merge their low-fare and leisure subsidiaries Germanwings and TUIfly into the country’s second-largest low-fare carrier after Air Berlin. Also, Lufthansa revealed more details about its new cargo joint venture with DHL, AeroLogic.
Qantas Airways is pushing aggressively to grow beyond its home market and position itself as a leading Asia-Pacific-region airline group, as early signs of regional consolidation emerge.
Virgin Blue is likely to have a turbulent year as it prepares to launch a long-haul subsidiary and could see a new majority shareholder. The airline, founded in 2000 by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and local investors, has long been content as Qantas’s primary competitor in the Australian domestic market. Originally set up as a low-fare airline, Virgin Blue has changed its strategy and now follows its “new world carrier” blueprint, offering frills like assigned seating, lounges and a frequent-flier program.
