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.
European regional airlines are facing massive restructuring, bedeviled by slow traffic growth, weak yields and the emergence of no-frills, low-cost competitors. At the European Regions Airline Assn.'s (ERA) annual general assembly here, executives acknowledged that significant changes will be required to sustain or restore healthy results. ``Independents have no chance of survival without links to a major carrier,'' Olaf Dlugi, an airline consultant and former chief executive of Augsburg Airways, claimed.
Attempts to rescue Fairchild Dornier are entering a critical phase. Russian investors might be the last chance for the German aircraft manufacturer's regional twinjets. Basic Elements, a major Russian group formerly known as Sibirsky Aluminium, and Irkutsk Aircraft Production Organization (IAPO) were expected to submit a bid for the company last week, according to Fairchild Dornier Administrator Eberhard Braun. Moreover, Switzerland-based Aircraft Finance Consulting (AFC) is mulling an unrelated proposal and is expected to submit financing documentation this week.
SkyTeam could become the world's biggest airline alliance if Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines join in the next few months. According to executives of SkyTeam member carriers, they would be a highly valuable addition. Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Leo Mullin stressed that the members' common goal is to ``aggressively strengthen the alliance.'' Creating SkyTeam two years ago was ``one of the great accomplishments'' he achieved since taking over Delta, he added. Delta and Air France are SkyTeam's founding members.
