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.
BMI British Midland appointed Nigel Turner as its new CEO, replacing Austin Reid at the head of the U.K. airline. Reid plans to retire for personal reasons a year earlier than anticipated, BMI said in a statement. Turner has been the airline's CFO since 2001. Tim Bye, currently the legal director at BMI, will become deputy CEO. The airline also made Alan Bird its new CFO, succeeding Turner. The appointments are effective immediately. -JF
Flugleidir, Icelandair's parent company, increased its stake in U.K. low-fare airline easyJet to 10.1%. The company initially bought 8.4% over the stock market last Friday (DAILY, Oct. 25) and hinted it might increase the stake further. "We want to find ways to grow Icelandair, and we see a good investment opportunity in easyJet. EasyJet's fundamentals are strong and its shares have been beaten down unduly by fears over yield declines and oil," Icelandair Chairman Hannes Smarason said in an interview. -JF
A regional court ordered Berlin Schoenefeld Airport to revise the fees it receives from low-cost carriers (LCC). The court ruling followed a complaint by German carrier Air Berlin alleging that Berlin's airport authority charged rival easyJet less for services to Schoenefeld than Air Berlin at Tegel Airport. The court declared Air Berlin's landing fee payments as not binding, meaning the carrier will likely be returned excess payments dating back to summer 2003. The airport authority said it will work at setting up a new fee structure. -JF
