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.
Air Tahiti Nui and Air France plan to launch a joint venture between Los Angeles International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, combining the services of the only two carriers that have non-stop flights in this market. The carriers have applied to the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) for antitrust immunity to share revenue and coordinate schedules on this route, but not to points beyond.
Australia’s competition watchdog says it will rule next week on Virgin Australia’s proposed acquisition of a majority stake in low-cost carrier Tiger Airways Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has set April 24 as the deadline for its ruling on the Virgin Australia move. However, this is not the first time the ACCC has set a decision deadline; it previously set target dates of Jan. 31 and March 14, but on both occasions it put the process on hold while it sought additional information from the applicants.
Qantas believes its first Boeing 787 delivery will be delayed up to two months by the battery issues that have grounded the 787 fleet, a senior airline executive says. The first delivery will occur after August, which was previously the target date for the 787’s arrival, says Simon Hickey, head of Qantas’s international operation. Hickey told reporters in Singapore that the latest delay is not expected to be more than “a couple of months.” A Qantas spokesman confirmed that media reports quoting Hickey’s comments were accurate.
