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.
U.S. airline executives have written to lawmakers urging them to not increase passenger facility charges (PFCs) in FAA reauthorization legislation. CEOs from all the major U.S. carriers signed the letter, which was sent to the leaders of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee. These lawmakers are trying to resolve differences between the House and Senate reauthorization bills, although progress has been slow.
U.S. airlines will see a 1% year-on-year increase in average daily passenger numbers during the upcoming summer travel season, according to the Air Transport Association. The ATA forecasts that the daily average will be about 2.2 million passengers on domestic and international routes. This would be slightly higher than the 1.8 million in 2009, but lower than the 2.28 million in 2007. In fact, it would still be the lowest summer average since 2004.
Southwest Airlines confirmed it plans to add its first two destinations in South Carolina in 2011, following an extensive lobbying effort from within the state. The carrier will begin service to Charleston International Airport (CHS) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) next year, although it has not unveiled a start date or destinations.
