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 long-running saga of FAA reauthorization may finally be drawing to a close, but even at this late stage there are plenty of unresolved issues to worry the aviation industry.
The first-ranked low-cost carrier in this year’s Top-Performing Airlines study is a great example of what can happen when you combine a profitable niche with the right business model to exploit it. Allegiant Travel Co. has been among the leaders in this category in past TPA studies, but this year it claims the top ranking by a wide margin. Its financial health score of 96 is higher than any other airline in any category. And it has steadily increased its net profit at a time when others were struggling with large losses.
Consolidation may be the prevailing trend in the airline industry, but Aviation Week’s latest Top-Performing Airlines study provides a timely reminder that bigger is not always better.
