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.
By year-end, Airbus plans to unveil the most controversial aspects of its effort to become more competitive by streamlining its extended industrial structure. But German political leaders are already warning the company not to jeopardize that country's stake. Airbus CEO Christian Streiff says part of the aircraft maker's overhaul will involve tackling the "taboos" that have existed. One of them is the industrial alignment, with manufacturing split throughout the four main Airbus countries, France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain.
The new EADS plan to fix Airbus and the A380 raises as many questions as it answers, ranging from "Can the company deliver on its aggressive cost-savings plan," to "Can it still afford key future programs."
Robert Wall (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London), Jens Flottau (Frankfurt)
Bureaucrats are emerging as the biggest obstacle to Ryanair's brash offer to acquire Aer Lingus and create an Irish airline powerhouse capable of competing with its continental rivals. After years of pointing to Aer Lingus as an example of everything wrong with non-low-fare carriers, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary now promises to cure those ills, from high fares to fuel surcharges, if his takeover bid is allowed to proceed.
