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.
FAA and airport staff yesterday got their first look at the Gulf Coast airports ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, and while they found significant damage at Gulfport-Biloxi Airport, New Orleans Airport was able to open one runway. Few details about Gulfport-Biloxi were available at press time yesterday, but an FAA spokeswoman said the airport is expected to be the most heavily damaged. It remained completely closed to traffic, and FAA said some navigation beacon and instrument landing system equipment on the airport property had disappeared altogether.
The International Association of Machinists yesterday dismissed Boeing's latest contract offer, leaving very little time for further negotiations before a union vote on the offer on Thursday and a possible strike soon after.
Spirit AeroSystems last week rolled out the first demonstration nose section for Boeing's new 787 at Spirit's Wichita facility. The nose section is made of composite materials and is 19 feet in diameter and 24 feet long. Spirit said it will build the first production nose section next year and send it to the Boeing plant in Everett, Wash., in 2007 for final assembly. Spirit will also build the 787 engine pylons at Wichita.
