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.
The few low-cost carriers that are thriving during this recession have one very useful trait in common—domination of niche markets. Those without this advantage are seeing their prospects tumble just as much as their legacy rivals.
Continental reported an alarming 20% decline in unit revenue in June, even though load factors climbed slightly. Both consolidated and mainline passenger unit revenue are estimated to have dropped between 19.5% and 20.5%, compared to the same month in 2008. This is very similar to the year-on-year declines in May – 19.9% for consolidated and 19.1% for mainline unit revenues.
The global airline industry remains on track for a $9 billion loss this year, but new deliveries are helping keep capacity growth above demand. With more than 60 airlines now reporting first-quarter results, collective losses are $3.1 billion for the quarter, according to the International Air Transport Association. This compares to a $405 million profit in the same period last year. The 2009 collective quarterly operating loss was $1.2 billion.
