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.
Qantas and Boeing have brought forward delivery of Boeing 787s to the Australian airline by two years to 2012. The first 787s delivered to the group will be 787-8s, of which 15 are on order. Eight will arrive from mid-2012, and the other seven, along with 35 787-9s, will enter service from 2014. The carrier will allocate the first aircraft to its Jetstar low-cost subsidiary.
Alaska Airlines is ranked first among mainline/legacy carriers, according to Aviation Week's 2010 Top Performing Airlines study. Alaska barely beat Singapore Airlines, which had occupied the No. 1 spot for five consecutive years. The highest-ranked carrier in the low-cost/niche category is Allegiant Air, and Australia’s Regional Express Holdings is the best of the regionals for the second year in a row. (For a breakdown of airline scores and rankings, go to aviationweek.com/TPA).
Australia’s Regional Express Holdings (REX) is the top-performing regional carrier for the second consecutive year. Its liquidity and financial health scores were the highest in its category. Though REX’s total score dropped compared with last year, it still managed to edge out SkyWest Airlines for the top spot. REX recorded a profit of $17 million in fiscal 2009, down slightly from its 2008 profit. The carrier’s fleet includes 45 Saab 340s (right). In the regional category overall, the median score rose in this year’s study following two years of decline.
