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.
There has been a sharp upswing in confidence among airlines about their financial health over the next 12 months, according to a new survey by the International Air Transport Association. IATA says 73% of airline CFOs who responded to its quarterly survey expect improvements in profitability over the next year, with 11.5% expecting no change and 15.4% forecasting a deterioration. In the last such survey in July, just 26.9% expected profitability would improve, with the same percentage predicting no change and 46.2% believing their situation would get worse.
While most other U.S. airlines are posting net losses in the third quarter, Alaska Air Group achieved an $87.6 million profit that was a significant improvement from last year’s result. CEO Bill Ayer describes this result as “one of the best quarters we’ve had in a very long time.” He said it reflects the carrier’s perseverance with the long-term plan it put in place in 2003, despite economic challenges.
Nav Canada achieved a cost reduction greater than its revenue decline for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, the company reported last week. For fiscal 2009, Nav Canada’s expenses exceeded revenue by C$26 million (US$24.7 million), an improvement from fiscal 2008 when expenses overshadowed revenue by C$69 million. Despite the deficit, the company said it does not intend to increase customer charges at this time, although it will re-evaluate the need for an increase in January.
