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.
Ryanair is launching a new base in Bristol in November, a significant move that will position the carrier to compete head-to-head with EasyJet, which also has a large presence at the airport. Ryanair will fly to 13 destinations and base two Boeing 737-800s in Bristol. EasyJet currently offers 33 routes from Bristol, a base it inherited from Go when it took over the ex-British Airways subsidiary in 2002. -JF
Chinese logistics group LinkGlobal Logistics bought Germany's Parchim Airport and promised to invest about EUR100 million (US$134 million) to upgrade the field. LinkGlobal is understood to be planning cargo services from Shenzhou to Parchim. The airport, situated between Hamburg and Berlin, has a 9,000-foot runway sufficient for long-haul services and currently operates some charter flights. Lufthansa Cargo, for its part, stated that operating a cargo airport in Parchim was "economically senseless and logistically unattractive." -JF
British Airways has not yet given up on its partner Iberia, saying recently that it is in talks with several potential investors to set up a consortium that could buy the Spanish oneworld member. The consortium would include one private equity firm and at least one or more Spanish partners. BA "ruled out an independent bid for the airline," it said in a statement.
