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.
Chris Brown, formerly a senior FAA official in charge of government affairs, has joined law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. Brown will be senior counsel in the firm’s government and regulatory practice group, in its Washington, D.C., office. In his most recent position at FAA, Brown was assistant administrator for government and industry affairs. Before that, he was counsel to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The House at press time yesterday was expected to pass its version of the FAA reauthorization bill, including an amendment that would raise general aviation fuel taxes, but without an amendment that would have blocked a passenger facility fee (PFC) increase.
International traffic was down 9.3% in March, which represents a continuing deterioration versus the prior month, when leap year and Easter adjustments are considered, according to the International Air Transport Association. Unlike the freight market, there is “no indication in the data yet that the decline in passenger traffic has reached a bottom,” IATA said. After adjustments, overall international passenger numbers fell 7.5% year-on-year in March, compared to a fall of 6% year-on-year in February.
