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.
KLM and Air France are in very advanced negotiations over an alliance deal that would put the SkyTeam alliance on a par with the Star Alliance, one big step toward consolidation of the European airline sector. KLM, however, declined to comment on a report in French daily L'Agefi that the two companies were planning to announce an outright merger this week.
The new owner of defunct Fairchild Dornier's 728 regional jet program, D'Long Aerospace, has renamed itself Fairchild Dornier AeroIndustries GmbH. The company is based in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich at the old Fairchild Dornier headquarters and aims to restart the frozen 728 program in close cooperation with Chinese aerospace companies. Right now, the new Fairchild Dornier has a small but quickly growing team of managers and engineers to resume development of the two prototypes and pave the way for flight tests.
British Airways engineers rejected an earnings agreement that would have resulted in a 3% pay increase and introduction of a controversial swipe card system that led to a wildcat strike by check-in staff in July. BA said it was very disappointed at the vote outcome and it will talk to the trade unions to discuss the next steps. -JF
