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.
Australian financial analysts believe Qantas is planning to split itself into four separate units -- including one that would own and lease back all of the carrier's aircraft. At least two major brokerage companies told clients that Qantas is considering the division, which prompted a rise in share values. According to the analysts, the airline would also separate its freight operations and lucrative frequent flyer program.
Airbus yesterday announced it has received FAA approval for the A380 to operate on runways with a width of 45 meters (150 feet) or more, which is an important step because this is the standard width for most airports.
Global passenger traffic growth weakened slightly in the first half of this year, IATA data show, with the drop particularly noticeable in June. Passenger traffic increased 6.3% for the first six months of this year, down from the 6.7% growth in the same period last year but up from the 2006 full-year rise of 5.9%. For the month of June, however, growth dropped to 5.3%, down from 6.5% last year. This year's June increase was the lowest in nine months, IATA said.
