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.
The White House has nominated Duane Woerth as the U.S. ambassador to ICAO. Woerth was president of the Air Line Pilots Association from 1999 to 2006. He is currently senior VP-airline relations for the travel advertising firm Sojern, which he co-founded. He has served on several airline boards and is currently a director at Hawaiian Airlines. Woerth served in the U.S. Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
FAA must do more to include and coordinate the work of other agencies on the NextGen initiative, and also review industry involvement, according to a new government report. The U.S. Transportation Department’s Inspector General (IG) conducted a sweeping analysis of the NextGen program at the request of Congress. In general, the IG says, “A number of critical actions are still needed to move NextGen from planning to implementation,” and “not taking timely action on these issues could delay FAA’s plans to transition to NextGen.”
A bill extending FAA’s operating authority was passed by the Senate late on June 30, following similar action in the House a day earlier. The provision lasts through Aug. 1 and is the 14th such extension since the last full FAA authorization expired in 2007. It gives House and Senate lawmakers an extra month to reach consensus on a full FAA reauthorization, and House aviation leaders are confident they are close to agreement and can finish the bill in July.
