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.
Irish state-owned carrier Aer Lingus plans to introduce nine new European routes next year. The airline will start flying from Dublin to Berlin, Venice, Bilbao, Valencia, Lyon and Zurich by the end of March 2004. Two months later, it will start operations to Warsaw, Copenhagen and Dubrovnik. Most of the new destinations will generate leisure traffic. Aer Lingus last month ordered 17 Airbus A320 aircraft to support the expansion. -JF
British Airways does not want to increase its stake in Spanish carrier Iberia, CEO Rod Eddington told Spanish daily Expansion. BA holds a 9% stake in the airline. Observers noted that BA and Lufthansa might come under pressure to take on partners after the Air France/KLM deal. -JF
The Air France-KLM deal will not "open the [consolidation] floodgates," because no capacity actually leaves the industry, said JP Morgan airlines analyst Chris Avery. Moreover, the deal yields no "step-change in the combined group's cost base or profitability," he said, adding British Airways -- which tried twice to merge with KLM -- is unlikely to launch a counterbid to head off the takeover. Disputes over the extent of Dutch control scuttled those efforts.
