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.
U.S. airlines on Friday teamed up to begin a massive airlift operation intended to carry 25,000 refugees out of the New Orleans disaster area. Operation Air Care, which involves almost all of the major U.S. and Canadian passenger and cargo carriers, was set up by the Air Transport Association at the request of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. At the same time, FAA staff are working to keep the flow of aircraft through New Orleans Airport as high as possible.
The Boeing machinists strike that began Friday showed signs of dragging on for weeks as both sides looked unlikely to back down quickly. The International Association of Machinists voted Thursday to reject Boeing's final contract offer, with 86% of eligible members voting against the proposal. The IAM said Boeing must address job security and pension concerns before the union will return to the negotiating table. IAM represents 18,400 Boeing employees.
Airbus last week said it has begun fatigue testing on the A380 airframe, more than two months ahead of schedule. The tests are being performed by IABG in a purpose-built hangar in Dresden. The test loads will be put on the airframe using 184 computer-controlled hydraulic jacks, and a 1,800-tonne test rig has been constructed. The cabin can be pressurized during the tests, Airbus says. Data will show how the aircraft will respond to stress during different stages of operation such as landing, take-off, taxiing and cruising.
