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 Senate Commerce Committee has postponed the confirmation hearing of Transportation Secretary nominee Ray LaHood. The hearing was supposed to be yesterday, but now it will be later this week or next week after the presidential inauguration. The reason for the delay is that the Obama team could not get the necessary paperwork to the committee in time. Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) stressed the postponement “should not reflect at all on...LaHood,” and it is “simply a matter of procedure.”
The U.S. Transportation Dept. yesterday finalized new flight caps for New York LaGuardia Airport as expected, and also said airlines have until Feb. 2 to propose flights to be cut. The final order issued by DOT conforms to a draft released Dec. 22. It calls for airlines at LaGuardia to reduce total scheduled operations from an average of 75 an hour to 71. The reductions will take effect May 31, and will be in effect through Oct. 24. DOT Secretary Mary Peters said the caps offer immediate relief while long-term solutions are examined.
The FAA has been forced to delay its review of the privatization of Chicago Midway airport, and now expects to make its decision sometime in April. The reason for the delay is that the proposed new operator, Midway Investment and Development Co. (MIDCo), has not finalized all its financial agreements. The company expects to close the transaction around April 1, and FAA said its final action will occur after all documentation from MIDCo is received. The agency had initially planned to finish its review earlier this month.
