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.
With no last-minute solution in sight, Lufthansa appears set to face a pilot strike in the coming weeks. Pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said March 21 that its members have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike. The strike threat is immediate, but VC said it will announce its work stoppages 48 hr. in advance.
Jens Flottau (Frankfurt), Guy Norris (San Diego), Amy Svitak (Paris)
Two weeks after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, aviation safety experts continue to toil over plausible causes. But even if debris from the aircraft is recovered soon, it may be months before a clearer picture emerges about what happened onboard the Boeing 777.
Air Berlin is quietly preparing a major announcement regarding its structure next week, and is trying to convince the German federal government that it doesn’t need to worry. The airline has been hinting in behind-the-scenes conversations that, whatever happens, it will retain its German air operator certificate and its current brand, several sources with knowledge of the matter say. A stock de-listing is understood to be one option, as is a further capital injection from another investor.
