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.
Gulf Air’s downsizing continues with the carrier’s withdrawal from three more markets. The state-owned airline between early February and late March will stop flying to Colombo, Dhaka and Kathmandu, citing “commercial reasons” for the decision. The cuts follow Gulf Air’s announcement two weeks ago that it is terminating services to Copenhagen and Rome in the coming weeks, again for “commercial reasons,” and the airline late last year stopped operating to Erbil, Iraq and Kabul. Gulf Air on Thursday will operate its last flight to Aden, Yemen.
Berlin’s airport operator has called off the planned Oct. 27 opening of the city’s new international airport, citing problems with the fire protection system. According to Berlin Airports, the problems are so complex that the October opening is no longer tenable. Technical Director Horst Amann, who joined the operator a few months ago, said it was too early to determine a new opening date.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer has replaced Hartmut Mehdorn as Air Berlin’s CEO just three months after joining the German airline as head of strategy. The appointment ends months of speculation over who will replace 70-year-old Mehdorn, who has headed the airline since mid-2011, but comes earlier than expected as Mehdorn’s contract expires by the end of 2013. Two months ago Air Berlin denied reports that a new CEO was to be named.
