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.
New Zealand-based infrastructure investor Infratil has bought a 90% stake in Luebeck Airport, according to a regulatory filing. The airport is situated near Hamburg in northern Germany and is served by Ryanair. The low-fare airline earlier said it would open a base in Luebeck if Infratil bought the facility (DAILY, April 15). In order for the base to be built up, the airport needs a runway extension and a new terminal. Plans for the addition have hit legal snags, which caused Ryanair to delay its plans into next year (DAILY, Aug. 4).
Austrian Airlines will have to start the search for a new CEO soon, after CEO Vagn Soerensen told the board that he will not renew his contract next year. Internal frontrunners are Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kleibl and Josef Burger, currently head of marketing. Soerensen said the reasons for his departure were purely private and that he wants to return to Denmark with his family after 20 years of working abroad.
German leisure carrier LTU International Airways will expand its long-haul offering in the winter timetable with three-times-weekly service from Duesseldorf each to Los Angeles and Vancouver.
