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.
Swiss International Air Lines will use the next 18 months to strengthen yields from its current network, but could expand international services from Zurich, starting in 2012. CEO Harry Hohmeister, who just opened the carrier’s eighth North American gateway with the launch of nonstop service to San Francisco, tells The DAILY that more U.S. destinations could be added, as well as services to Abu Dhabi.
The Senate is considering a test vote next week on a controversial labor clause that is one of the main obstacles to completing the FAA reauthorization bill. The clause, part of the House reauthorization proposal, would dramatically change the labor rules for most FedEx ground workers. Industry sources say the Senate test vote is intended to prove to House leaders that there is no Senate support for the FedEx measure.
American Airlines’ labor cost disadvantage, compared to the rest of the U.S. majors, is gradually being eroded by new labor deals and increases at rival airlines, says American CEO Gerard Arpey. American has a cost gap of about $600 million versus the industry average, but the gap is narrowing as more airlines work through the current contract cycle, Arpey said June 15 at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference.
