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.
Labor woes have deepened for Qantas Airways as the union representing its ground-handling employees has announced a strike. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) told the carrier that up to 3,800 baggage handlers, ramp workers, and catering and freight employees will strike for four hours, starting at 5 a.m. Sept. 20. The union representing aircraft engineers is already engaged in limited strikes. Both employee groups are in negotiations for a new contrac.
Qantas Airways is narrowing the likely list of names for a new premium carrier it plans to establish in Asia, although the timing of the launch remains uncertain. A Qantas spokesman confirms that among the names it is considering are RedQ—derived from the primary color in the Qantas logo—and OneAsia. The carrier has not yet made a decision, the spokesman says. However, Australian media report that these two names are the frontrunners, and that Qantas has filed trademark applications for RedQ, OneAsia, RedQ Executive Express and RedSky.
Tiger Airways has selected Andrew David, a veteran of the local airline industry, as the person to turn around the fortunes of its troubled Australian operation. David served as chief operating officer of Virgin Blue from 2005 to November 2010 and previously held senior leadership roles at Air New Zealand. He was considered a contender to take over at Virgin Blue before current CEO John Borghetti was appointed.
