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.
Fiji Airways has reported an increase in net profit for its 2012-2013 fiscal year, a welcome boost for a carrier in the middle of a widebody fleet transition. The airline—which recently changed its name from Air Pacific—achieved a net profit of F$14.1 million ($7.5 million) for the year ending March 31, up from the previous year’s profit of F$11.4 million.
While Aviation Week's annual Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) study is the most extensive comparison of global airline strength, there is still one type of carrier that it does not include. The study only covers publicly traded companies, which means the TPA rankings exclude the large Middle Eastern carriers such as Emirates. So Aviation Week has run a separate analysis of Emirates to estimate where it might fit in the rankings if it did meet our criteria.
Airlines are accusing some of the major airports in Australia and New Zealand of ratcheting up fees unfairly, and they are criticizing the governments of the two countries for not reining in these airports' pricing practices. Reflecting similar arguments around the world, local airlines say that fee hikes highlight the fact that regulators need to take a firmer line with airports. Now, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stepped up its own calls for the two governments to intervene more directly in airport disputes.
