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.
Italian carrier Blue Panorama awarded Pratt & Whitney a five-year, $20 million service contract for engine maintenance and overhaul. Under the contract, Pratt will be responsible for maintenance on the PW4000 engines that power the airline's four 767-300ERs, and the PW2000s on the two 757s the airline is scheduled to receive by the end of the year. The maintenance work for the PW4000 will be performed at Eagle Services Asia in Singapore, while the PW2000 work will be done at the Cheshire Engine Center in Connecticut. -AS
Spirit yesterday ordered three more Airbus A321s, following a new $100 million financing deal reached by the airline last week. Spirit President Ben Baldanza linked the order to the financing deal, which "will help fund [Spirit's] accelerated fleet transition plan that is on track to give the airline an all-Airbus fleet by early 2007." The financing deal comprised $70 million from Oaktree Capital Management and $30 million from Goldman Sachs (DAILY, July 19). Oaktree already has a large stake in Spirit.
The U.S. Transportation Dept.'s inspector general last week said FAA needs to "focus greater attention" on checking the numbers presented by the City of Chicago in support of its O'Hare Modernization Plan (OMP), and FAA also must make sure Chicago's airspace is redesigned adequately.
