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.
Record-high oil prices will wipe out all profits at European airlines in 2004, the Association of European Airlines' (AEA) Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus asserted yesterday. The AEA members will at best break even, he told a conference in Brussels. European carriers recorded a combined EUR1.5 billion loss in 2003.
Aer Lingus has been approached by private equity firms that are interested in buying a stake in the Irish airline, CEO Willie Walsh said in an interview. "Access to funding is critical to our development," Walsh pointed out. "If we want to expand and invest in long-haul aircraft, we need external funding." The airline is looking at ordering up to 12 long-haul aircraft. Aer Lingus is 85% state-owned, but the Irish government is currently assessing whether or not the airline should be privatized.
