Adrian is Auckland bureau chief for Aviation Week, based in New Zealand. He covers commercial aviation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Adrian was previously based in Aviation Week’s Washington office for nine years, writing for a range of the group’s publications and covering many aspects of the commercial aviation industry. He has won Australasian and international awards for his aviation writing.
Prior to joining Aviation Week in 2002, Adrian covered aviation industry and policy issues for two other publishing companies in Washington. He has also worked for newspapers in Texas and New Zealand, covering a wide range of topics. Adrian graduated from Auckland University with a degree in history and English in 1992.
Australian regional carrier Brindabella Airlines has gone into receivership and suspended flights indefinitely, a collapse prompted by safety authorities grounding most of its fleet last week for inspections. KordaMentha, the company appointed receiver on Dec. 15, says it is “calling for immediate expressions of interest in the sale of the business,” although it stresses that the carrier will not operate while the sale is conducted. Based in the Australian capital Canberra, Brindabella operates a fleet of 12 turboprops.
The low-cost carrier market in Thailand continues to grow more crowded, with local airline Nok Air and Singapore’s Scoot revealing plans to launch a new Bangkok-based LCC. The airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint venture called NokScoot, which they say will operate widebody aircraft on medium and long-haul international routes. Nok will control a 51% stake, and Scoot will have 49%. The initial investment will be THB 2 billion ($62.3 million).
A major development project is underway at Honolulu International Airport that will add capacity and allow Hawaiian Airlines to dramatically improve the efficiency of its main hub. The multi-phase project involves the construction of new cargo and heavy maintenance facilities for Hawaiian Airlines, with their relocation allowing for taxiways to be widened. This in turn will improve access for larger aircraft to a new passenger terminal that will be built when the other facilities are finished.
