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.
Jetstar says it will add 39 weekly flights to its New Zealand domestic operation from February, and will dedicate two more Airbus A320s to this market. The carrier says these moves will build its New Zealand market share to 20%, with a total of 116 weekly roundtrip flights. The expansion decision comes soon after Virgin Blue announced its withdrawal from New Zealand domestic routes in October.
Australia’s competition watchdog has denied Sydney Airport’s proposal to raise fees for regional carriers. The airport corporation had requested a 2.9% increase for carriers serving points within New South Wales, to become effective Oct. 23. The charges cover terminal, check-in, passenger security, bag-screening, runway and ramp services. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is responsible for assessing proposed price hikes for regional airlines at Sydney Airport.
Significant progress is being made in introducing continuous descent approaches (CDAs) at European airports, thanks to an industry-wide implementation effort. So far, 83 airports across 25 European states have committed to introduce CDAs, according to a joint statement from Eurocontrol and industry groups. CDA procedures allow more efficient airport approaches through the use of satellite navigation and aircraft flight management systems. These are regarded as a key factor in the industry’s emissions reduction plans.
