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.
Japan Air Lines plans to boost flights on some of its major China and Vietnam routes in response to strong demand in these markets, the carrier said recently. From June 2, JAL will add an extra five weekly round-trips between Tokyo Narita and Beijing, increasing the frequency on this route to 19 flights a week. Tokyo-Guangzhou flights will be boosted from 11 to 13 weekly, beginning May 31.
Last week was a big one for Boeing in terms of aircraft sales, with the manufacturer announcing 43 new orders in the seven days through April 25. The largest order came from Air Canada, which boosted its 787 order by 23 aircraft (DAILY, April 25). Lessor Oak Hill Capital Partners ordered six 777 freighters, and SpiceJet signed a contract for 10 737-800s. Four unidentified 737 orders brought the total to 43.
Weak growth in the U.S. domestic market during the first quarter was offset by surging international business, express giant UPS reported this week. Overall, net profit dropped 13.5% to $843 million during the quarter, with operating profit down 12.7% to $1.4 billion. These results include an impairment charge of $221 million due to the accelerated retirement of some Boeing 727 and 747s, and another of $68 million related to a voluntary retirement program. Excluding these special items, net profit would have increased 5.3%.
