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.
Air New Zealand is calling for a regulatory change to tamp down charges at Auckland International Airport, disputing a recent assessment by New Zealand’s competition watchdog that contends the “light-handed” regulatory process appears effective.
Viewing Australia as a test-bed for its global strategy, China Southern is moving this fall to deploy Airbus A380s to Sydney, and is upgrading aircraft on all its Australia routes. The A380 introduction into this market had been rumored, but China Southern Executive VP Chen Gang confirmed the move for the first time during an industry event in Sydney this past weekend.
A former Qantas executive who helped set up the Jetstar low-cost subsidiary will take over as the new head of Tiger Airways Australia, in a move endorsed by prospective Tiger majority owner Virgin Australia. Robert Sharp is set to become Tiger CEO on Wednesday (May 1), taking over from a caretaker manager. His appointment comes less than a week after Virgin Australia’s proposed purchase of a 60% share of Tiger cleared a major regulatory hurdle.
