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.
U.S. major airlines are launching yet another round of cuts to their fleets and domestic networks, as the industry hunkers down into survival mode in the face of spiraling oil prices and an economic recession.
Even perennially profitable companies like FedEx are not immune to the weakening economy, with the express carrier reporting a diminished profit for the quarter ending Feb. 29. FedEx CEO Fred Smith said the company is “managing costs” while positioning its operations to increase profits again “once conditions improve.” FedEx is concerned about the same economic conditions as the passenger carriers — oil prices, sluggish U.S. growth and the fallout from the credit crisis.
JetBlue on March 19 said it will make Orlando into its seventh “focus city,” and the carrier plans to create a crew base at the airport and consolidate its gates into one terminal. The airline said the higher status of Orlando within its network reflects the new Caribbean flights it has added there recently, with more to come when Bogota service begins later this year. By May 1, JetBlue will serve 18 destinations from Orlando.
