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.
Seven U.S. carriers have launched a lawsuit against FAA in protest against new requirements for crew rest on ultra-long range (ULR) flights. The carriers say FAA should have gone through a rulemaking process for the changes, allowing more industry input. Their complaint is not just procedural, however — the airlines claim the crew rest requirements place an unfair financial burden on them while safety benefits are unproven. Listed on the lawsuit are American, Continental, United, US Airways and JetBlue, as well as cargo carriers Evergreen and Atlas.
Canada, like other nations, is seeing flight numbers decline significantly. November flight traffic was down 4.2%, compared with a year earlier, according to ATC provider Nav Canada. Traffic from Sept. 1 through the end of November declined 2.2%. Nav Canada uses a measure representing charges for en-route, terminal and oceanic ATC services.
Continental is adding another flight at London Heathrow airport, as it switches its seasonal Cleveland service from London Gatwick. Flights will operate between May 2 and Sept. 26, arriving at Heathrow at 9:15 a.m. and departing at 11:40 a.m., using Boeing 757s. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said the flights will help business development, and he believes the route will get enough support for Continental to consider year-round service.
