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 Friday drew praise from business aviation leaders for the nomination of aviation veteran J. Randolph Babbitt to a five-year term as FAA administrator. Friday’s announcement of Babbitt’s selection was widely expected, with one industry insider calling the nomination a “slam dunk” more than a month ago. But the nomination process was held up for weeks by the vetting process.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood tells The DAILY that the Obama Administration is dedicated to funding the NextGen modernization plan, despite increasing pressure on federal budgets.
Air New Zealand is preparing a contingency plan to handle a flight attendant strike that will affect many of its Australia flights during the Easter period. While minor work action will occur beforehand, a full strike is planned for three days from April 8. The strike is a result of a wage dispute between Air NZ and employees of its Zeal subsidiary, which was formed to employ staff of the former Freedom low-cost operation after it folded. Zeal also includes other Airbus A320 crew.
