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 House Transportation & Committee is preparing to make a formal request for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into a proposed DHL/UPS domestic express deal.
The future ownership of International Lease Finance Corp. remains uncertain, as the airline industry watches to see how the leasing giant will be affected by the expected divestiture of assets by AIG. Although details are vague, ILFC CEO and Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy is reported to be working with potential investors in an attempt to put together a new ownership group. Analysts note that while ILFC has a potential value of up to $6 billion, tax liability issues would cut that value considerably. Debt liability would also be a complication for new owners.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. has granted American’s request to delay the startup of its proposed Chicago-Beijing flight for one year. The airline was scheduled to start the daily flight in April 2009, but asked DOT if it could postpone the launch until April 2010. Other carriers granted China frequencies have also asked DOT for permission to delay their introduction.
