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.
DC Aviation will provide its executive jet services for Lufthansa until the airline has built up its own fleet of corporate jets in early 2008. The decision came after NetJets discontinued its Lufthansa Private Jets flights last week. Lufthansa had to look for alternative operators at short notice to be able to operate prebooked flights.
Air India’s planned accession to Star Alliance membership marks an import milestone for the airline and the alliance’s respective growth strategies. Long courted by Star, which bemoaned the absence of a member in the Indian growth market, Air India is likely to be on board in early 2009. The carrier has been working for three years with Lufthansa, which is sponsoring Air India’s membership, and no insurmountable barriers are foreseen. Air China and Shanghai Airlines joined last week giving Star good coverage in another hot growth area.
Air India has been invited to join the Star Alliance, as the biggest airline group tries to eradicate its last remaining “white spots” in the world’s big aviation markets. Star Alliance CEOs yesterday unanimously voted in favor of inviting Air India, which expects to join the group in “around 15 months,” Chairman Vasudevan Thulasidas told reporters in Beijing after the Star Chief Executive Board vote.
