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 FAA is set to make a decision within the next few months on a new timeline for its largest air traffic control modernization project, acknowledging that it will not be able to introduce the system at all en-route centers by yearend as planned.
Surging passenger demand is proving beyond doubt that the U.S. major airlines are firmly in recovery mode. But even as profits appear tantalizingly within reach, the industry faces constant reminders of how easily external forces could undermine its momentum.
Expected benefits from the NextGen modernization plan will not be realized unless airlines do more to address overscheduling, says FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. After highlighting some of the advances being made in NextGen, Babbitt made a point of saying that it won’t matter much “if we don’t also commit to more sensible [airline] scheduling practices.”
