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.
Safety management systems (SMS) represent the best method to achieve further gains in international aviation safety, FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell said yesterday. While accident rates are dropping both worldwide and in the U.S., improvement is still needed, Sturgell said during FAA's annual International Safety Forum in Chantilly, Va. "When it comes to risks, the low-hanging fruit is long gone...SMS uses hard data to point us in the direction we need to go," said Sturgell.
American's decision to divest its Eagle regional affiliate sends a positive signal, but may not provide much long-term financial boost, analysts believe.
El Al this week reported a dramatic growth in net profit for the third quarter, driven by a 27% rise in revenues which offset higher fuel costs. The carrier's net profit for the quarter was $41.2 million, compared to just $1.4 million for the same period in 2006. Revenue was $567 million, and operating profit climbed to $63.8 million compared to $8.5 million last year.
