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.
The Qantas engineers’ union revealed that the airline plans to cut the number of pre-flight checks conducted by its licensed-engineer members, one of many new work rules the union opposes as contract talks continue. In a message to members, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) says Qantas is proposing that for Boeing 737-800s and Airbus A330s, engineers would only do checks before the first flight of the day and any ETOPS flights.
Australian regulators are expected within a matter of days to decide if grounded Tiger Airways Australia can resume operations, and all indications are that the suspension will be lifted. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) cited serious safety concerns in several areas, from pilot training to maintenance control, when it suspended operations at the carrier, a unit of Singapore-based Tiger Airways, on July 2. Since then the carrier has been working with CASA to resolve its concerns.
The FAA's two-week partial shutdown has jeopardized the timetable for introducing a new en route ATC system, a further blow to a crucial program that has already suffered major delays.
