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.
British Airways says it will fly more than 75% of the 240,000 booked passengers during the four days through March 30 targeted for strikes by the Unite union. A further 18% have been booked to fly on other carriers or have changed the dates of their BA flights to avoid the strike. Over the next four days, BA plans to fly a full normal schedule from London Gatwick and London City airports. At London Heathrow, the carrier will operate 70% of its long-haul schedule and 55% of its short-haul flights.
U.S. controllers who helped resolve flight emergencies recently were honored by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. NATCA selected the best assists of 2009 from each of six U.S. regions, presenting controllers involved with its Archie League Medal of Safety. This award is named after the first U.S. air traffic controller.
Congress has extended FAA’s operating authority by one month to the end of April, even though the House was until very recently pushing for a three-month extension. The shorter extension now gives less time for House and Senate lawmakers to reach a compromise on a long-term FAA reauthorization bill. The current extension expires March 31, so the new proposal would cover the agency until the end of April.
