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.
Despite sustained airline efforts to improve the efficiency of their business through a myriad of far-reaching initiatives, carriers appear to be fighting a losing battle as governments and other stakeholders are adding costs.
The global airline industry is likely to see a far smaller loss next year than predicted just three months ago, mainly due to a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the U.S. airlines only partly offset by a worsening outlook for European and Asia/Pacific carriers.
The International Air Transport Association may be forced to dismiss 20 airlines from its ranks next year for not meeting safety criteria. The association requires all members to pass the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), and Gunther Matschnigg, the organization’s senior VP for safety, operations and infrastructure. The likely dismissals are spread around the world, with Africa dominating slightly, but Asian, Middle East, former Soviet states, and Latin America also at risk.
