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.
A foldable economy-class seat that Airbus and design bureau Aida presented this week at The Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg could significantly reduce turnaround times on short-haul operations, Aida said. The first-of-its-kind technology enables aisle seats to be folded up so that passengers can move into their seats more quickly, reducing congestion in the aisle during boarding. Airbus says it is in touch with potential airline customers but declined to name candidates. The seat is expected to be certified within 18 months.
Lufthansa's Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber has denied rumors that he might hire Austrian CEO Vagn Soerensen to head the group's airline operation. Soerensen has been rumored to be a candidate for the job in the past few weeks. Instead, Mayrhuber pledged to continue to run the airline alongside his duties as chairman. Industry sources have pointed out, however, that Lufthansa would benefit from an additional senior executive in top management to run the airline, currently embroiled in a difficult restructuring process.
The Airbus St. Nazaire plant has completed a major 138-foot part of the first Airbus A380 prototype. Tomorrow, the section will be shipped to Pauillac near Bordeaux, where it will be loaded on a barge to be transported up the river Garonne and finally transferred on a truck. The journey will take one week, Airbus said. Final assembly is scheduled to start in May. -JF
