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 U.S. airline industry remains in a state of flux as United Airlines continues its quest for a merger partner, and Continental Airlines—having spurned United—appears ready to bail out of the SkyTeam alliance.
United’s pilots’ union this week stressed its opposition to any merger with US Airways, saying such a move would be “extremely negative” from United’s point of view. “While United has its own problems and issues…US Airways’ problems run even deeper,” said the United unit of the Air Line Pilots Association.
The latest contract proposals from the Allied Pilots Association would add billions to pension costs, American said yesterday. The proposal would add $3 billion in pension liabilities, and would require American to immediately inject more than $1 billion in cash into its A Plan to get it above the 80% funding threshold. Currently the pension plan is “well funded,” American said, but if the APA proposal was accepted, the funding level would drop below 60%. The airline based its calculations on analysis by Towers Perrin.
