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.
Senior FAA officials are adamant that a recent report on ATC modernization efforts will be used to reshape NextGen priorities and make better use of existing technologies. The findings of an RTCA industry/government task force gives FAA “an excellent headstart on the acceleration” of the modernization program, said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt at the annual Air Traffic Control Association conference. The task force forged a broad consensus, Babbitt said, and came up with recommendations that are “clear, actionable and achievable.”
Air New Zealand is considering adding further capacity to the Auckland-Samoa route after an extra flight to the island sold out within 24 hours. New Zealand has strong ties to Samoa, which was hit by a tsunami last week. As well as the special Boeing 767 flight, Air NZ has already upgauged scheduled Airbus A320 flights to 777-200ERs. These flights will carry relief aid as well as passengers, and baggage limits have been raised.
Despite the industry downturn that has slammed premium traffic, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh believes a unique all-premium transatlantic operation—using Airbus A318s—can quickly prove a success.
