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.
Worsening market conditions have prompted FAA to scale back airline growth predictions for the short term, which has also dampened the 20-year outlook. In its annual aerospace forecast, which this year extends through 2025, FAA estimates Fiscal Year 2008 will see traffic growth of 2.9%. In last year’s forecast, FAA projected FY2008 traffic would be up 4.2%. Near-term projections have been hit by higher-than-expected oil prices and the slowing of the U.S. economy, FAA Policy and Plans Director Nan Shellabarger said.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. yesterday issued a rule capping peak-time flights at Newark Airport at 83 an hour, a rate DOT believes is optimal for Newark but well below scheduled flight levels seen last summer. DOT has already held discussions with airlines about the cap, and reached agreement on the 83 rate, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said at the FAA Aerospace Forecast Conference yesterday. The proposed rule will be open for comment for two weeks, then will be in force 30 days later. It will be in effect for two years.
Southwest is already talking to potential candidates for international code-share service as the carrier works to make its own systems able to handle such a link by 2009, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly says.
