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.
Frontier has reached an agreement to sell two A319s and two A318s to VTB leasing, which will place them with Rossiya Airlines. Frontier had already announced in January that it would be selling four of its aircraft to adjust to a new capacity growth plan. Frontier still plans to take delivery of larger Airbus A320s, meaning its capacity will grow 3%-5% in its 2009 fiscal year. The sale to VTB shows Frontier is “on track to achieve those revised growth numbers,” the airline said. After the sale, Frontier will have 47 A319s and nine A318s.
U.S. major airlines are launching yet another round of cuts to their fleets and domestic networks, as the industry hunkers down into survival mode in the face of spiraling oil prices and an economic recession.
Even perennially profitable companies like FedEx are not immune to the weakening economy, with the express carrier reporting a diminished profit for the quarter ending Feb. 29. FedEx CEO Fred Smith said the company is “managing costs” while positioning its operations to increase profits again “once conditions improve.” FedEx is concerned about the same economic conditions as the passenger carriers — oil prices, sluggish U.S. growth and the fallout from the credit crisis.
