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 European Commission is expected to introduce its latest Single European Sky legislative proposal this week, and is scheduled to brief reporters on the proposal today. The proposal is aimed at accelerating the formation of functional airspace blocks, which is one of the major Single Sky goals. The plan still needs the approval of the European Parliament.
Air New Zealand is grappling with a dilemma faced by many other smaller international airlines: How do you defend your markets when the global heavyweights are doing battle in your backyard? Finding an answer hasn’t been easy, but Air NZ believes it has hit on the right formula to thrive in a tough industry environment. This has required a top-to-bottom shake-up of a formerly complacent national carrier, with a second wave of change on the horizon in the form of a major fleet upgrade.
The rapidly expanding Chinese market is a major focus of Air New Zealand’s growth plans, with the airline looking to quickly build on the services it has already introduced. Air NZ began Shanghai flights in 2006, and an Auckland-Beijing route will launch next month in time for the Olympics. The carrier is interested in adding flights to Guangzhou as soon as it can gain new access rights, says CEO Rob Fyfe.
