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.
State-owned Russian airline Pulkovo will separate its airport operations from flight operations by July 1, a Russian official said this week. The carrier will continue as a state-owned entity separate from the Pulkovo Airport business. It could be converted into a joint stock company later, St. Petersburg's Vice Governor Yury Molchanov told Russian news agency Tass.
Iberia this week denied a Spanish newspaper report that it is looking at setting up its own low-fare unit for short- and medium-haul routes. "That was an option put forward during talks with the pilots' trade union, as a way to hire more pilots with lower salaries, but it was found that creating a low-cost carrier from scratch is not feasible right now," a spokesman said. The airline faces increasing competition from low-fare airlines flying into Spain from other European countries, as well as Spanish carriers Air Europa and Spanair. -JF
China Southern Airlines yesterday ordered five Airbus A380s, the first of the new jets to be operated by a Chinese carrier. The announcement is part of a larger order for 30 aircraft from several Chinese carriers announced yesterday during French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's visit to Beijing.
