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.
American forecasts it will end the second quarter with $2.6 billion less debt than last year, and balance-sheet improvement efforts are cutting interest costs significantly. By the end of this month, American estimates it will have about $6.2 billion in cash and short-term investments, compared with $5.7 billion in 2006. Net debt will be down to about $11.6 billion from $14.2 billion. Net debt has dropped more than $4.7 billion since the end of 2005.
Air navigation service providers from the U.K., Germany and Spain yesterday agreed to begin the implementation phase of a joint program aimed at developing a crucial ATC system.
Boeing recently raised prices across the board for its commercial aircraft, with the increase in the 5.5%-6% range for almost all models. The price increase occurs annually, usually during the second quarter. The adjustment is based on prevailing market conditions, reflecting labor and material cost increases, a Boeing spokesman said. While list prices are often hypothetical -- particularly with large orders -- the rise will probably affect actual prices paid by airlines.
