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.
It is increasingly clear that Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast represents the future of air traffic management. But while many countries are embracing ADS-B, nobody is moving as quickly as Australia to turn its promise into reality. Airservices Australia has already established itself as a leader in satellite-based surveillance by introducing the world’s most extensive ADS-B network. Now it is looking to expand the technology into new areas to create a truly national system.
The introduction of a wide-area multilateration (WAM) network in the North Sea is a prime example of how new surveillance technologies are driving the latest transformation in air traffic management. In 1990, U.K. controllers considered it a major breakthrough when offshore rebroadcasting stations allowed them to talk to helicopters servicing North Sea oil rigs. Now, thanks to WAM, controllers can also see these aircraft on their displays far beyond land-based radar range—something that would have seemed inconceivable to their counterparts 20 years ago.
All Nippon Airways’ latest corporate plan targets profit growth of ¥47 billion ($573.6 million) within two years, with particularly strong revenue increases in international passenger markets. The carrier is aiming for a ¥45 billion net profit in its 2011 fiscal year, which begins April 1. This would be a steep increase from the ¥6 billion profit it is forecasting for the current fiscal year. The profit target for fiscal 2012 is ¥53 billion.
