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.
Passenger demand on international routes continued to strengthen in January with a 6.4% year-on-year increase, according to the International Air Transport Association. The January increase represented another sequential improvement, up from the 4.5% gain in December. Adjusting for seasonal variations, the December-to-January demand increase was 0.5%. January capacity was up 1.2%, resulting in load factor rising 3.7 points to 75.9%.
Air New Zealand saw its profit increase for the six months through Dec. 31, and the airline expects more stable market conditions — and another profit — in the current six-month period. The carrier reported a net profit of NZ$56 million (US$39.1 million) in the first half of its fiscal year, compared to a NZ$24 million profit for the same period a year earlier. Excluding tax and certain hedge losses, the profit would have been NZ$96 million, versus NZ$26 million in 2008.
Adrian Schofield (Washington), Neelam Mathews (New Delhi)
The Oneworld alliance will fill one of the largest gaps in its network with the addition of India’s Kingfisher Airlines, increasing member carriers’ access to a market with huge growth potential. The Kingfisher announcement is the latest in a flurry of big wins for Oneworld, helping the alliance emerge from a period of turbulence stronger than ever. In the space of three weeks the alliance has forestalled a defection by Japan Airlines, won initial regulatory approval for closer transatlantic ties, and now unveiled a strategic membership move.
