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 latest data from the International Air Transport Association confirm that passenger and cargo traffic has returned to strong growth following a brief respite in April. Scheduled passenger traffic on international routes rose 11.7% year-on-year, with cargo up 34.3%, IATA says. While comparisons are skewed by weak 2009 numbers, passenger traffic is up 1% and cargo 6% from pre-recession levels.
Hawaiian Airlines plans to begin flying between Honolulu and Seoul Incheon International Airport in January, the carrier announced on June 30. The four weekly flights will be operated with Boeing 767-300ERs, and Hawaiian plans to increase frequency later in 2011. This will be the second stage of the carrier’s expansion to Asia, as the U.S. Transportation Department has granted tentative approval for a flight from Honolulu to Tokyo Haneda Airport.
House lawmakers have passed another short-term extension of the FAA’s operating authority, although lawmakers claim they are getting closer to agreement on a long-term reauthorization bill for the agency. The House Ways and Means Committee introduced an FAA extension provision late on June 28, and it was passed on June 29. This bill has now been sent to the Senate for approval. The extension is for one month through Aug. 1, providing funding and expenditure authority for the aviation trust fund as well as other programs.
