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.
Raytheon has been awarded a $9.5 million contract to network and distribute data within FAA’s terminal air traffic control operation. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Transportation Dept.’s Volpe Center. The system — known as the terminal data distribution system (TDDS) — is part of FAA’s system wide information management (SWIM) program. The Raytheon system will automate terminal flight information, and facilitate the exchange of data between multiple systems.
FAA has named two new regional administrators, with Joe Miniace moving from FAA’s human resources organization to take over the Central region, and Kathryn Vernon appointed head of the Northwest Mountain region. Miniace was previously deputy assistant administrator for human resources management, having joined the agency in 2005. He was heavily involved in FAA’s contract negotiations with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Miniace will become Central region administrator on May 4, following the retirement of Chris Blum.
Beyond the short-term certainty of a grim first quarter, big questions loom for U.S. airlines: When will demand bottom out? Has the industry hit the trough of this down cycle, or is the slide only starting? The answers will determine whether predictions of a profitable 2009 are realistic or merely wishful thinking.
