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.
British Airways yesterday reached a new deal with financially troubled catering company Gate Gourmet, and the airline said it is now up to Gate Gourmet to settle its labor problems. Gate Gourmet UK had earlier warned that it needed an improved BA contract by yesterday afternoon to avoid going into bankruptcy (DAILY, Aug. 23). BA said it has "agreed to the terms of a new deal that improves and extends the commercial arrangement" between Gate Gourmet.
Cypriot airline Helios Airways starting Aug. 28 will no longer fly its scheduled services from Larnaca to Athens and Prague, the route operated by a Boeing 737-800 that crashed earlier this month (DAILY, Aug. 16), killing all 121 on board. "In view of the tragic loss of our aircraft and the resulting unavoidable extraordinary circumstances, Helios Airways is forced to rearrange its flight program with the remaining aircraft," the airline said in a statement.
Russian carrier Aeroflot yesterday was forced to cancel a significant part of its long-haul flights, after the country's aviation safety authority ordered Ilyushin Il-96-300s to be grounded immediately. Following several recent incidents, investigators found faulty parts in the aircraft's braking system that now need to be replaced. The flaws were discovered during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Finland -- there are two Il-96s in use in his presidential fleet. Putin had to use a replacement aircraft for the return leg.
