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.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is today scheduled to deliver a speech on “the vision, the focus and the future” of the FAA, at an Aero Club of Washington event. On Wednesday, Babbitt is expected to update press on the agency’s “call to action” initiative regarding pilot training and fatigue.
FAA last week loaded a portable ATC tower into an Antonov 124 to ship it to Haiti, where it will be used to assist flights arriving at Port-au-Prince Airport. The airport’s own control tower was damaged during the Jan. 12 earthquake, and is unusable. In the interim, controllers at the airport have worked outside on a folding table, using military radios to handle about 160 flights a day, according to FAA.
American intends to furlough up to 175 pilots over the next six months, although it is negotiating with the pilots’ union to reduce the total through various voluntary options.
