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.
Italian carrier Air One is considering a bid for the assets of bankrupt regional carrier Gandalf Airlines. "We will make an offer if the conditions are adequate," an Air One spokesman said. Gandalf shut down in March after four years of continuing losses and several failed attempts to raise funds to pay off debt. The carrier posted a EUR21.2 million loss in 2002. Air One operates 27 Boeing 737s on its domestic Italian network. Entrepreneur Carlo Toto owns the airline. -JF
NetJets plans to add 21 aircraft to its European fleet, the company said this week. The fractional ownership provider will have 64 aircraft operational in Europe by the end of the year. The company expects the number of shareowners to increase from 240 to 400. It has doubled over the past year. -JF
British Airways and Iberia have denied a Spanish Web report that they would announce a merger in the next few days. According to Elconfidential.com, current Iberia shareholders would receive shares worth EUR23.5 for each Iberia share. The report also said that headquarters would be split between Madrid and London. "This is absolutely not true," a spokesman for Iberia said, a statement that BA later corroborated when it said, "There is nothing new in relations between Iberia and British Airways." -JF
