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 last week raised Trinidad & Tobago's safety rating to the highest category, following a reassessment of Trinidad's civil aviation authority. Trinidad's rating will change from Category 2 to Cat 1. This means the aviation authority has been "assessed by FAA inspectors and has been found to license and oversee air carriers in accordance with ICAO aviation safety standards," FAA said. -AS
The U.K.'s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) at last won its first overseas air traffic control contract, winning a competition to supply ATC services at Gibraltar Airport for the Royal Air Force. The contract is worth GBP 3.5 million ($6.3 million) over three years, and covers approach and airfield ATC services, as well as support functions such as bird abatement and medical assistance. The current controllers and support staff at Gibraltar Airport will be offered jobs by NATS when it takes over in early 2006.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey last week introduced new measures to provide greater scrutiny of the service contracts the agency has signed with private companies and consultants. An FAA team for the past several months has been examining the agency's $1.3 billion in service contracts, prompted by specific complaints about wasteful spending highlighted by the U.S. Transportation Dept.'s Inspector General. In a memo to employees, Blakey said new policies are needed "to guarantee that safeguards against waste, fraud and abuse are observed."
