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.
Continental managed to echo American's achievement in reaching a first-quarter profit despite harsh winter storms, although carrier executives warned of a tough pricing environment going forward. The airline reported a $22 million first-quarter net profit -- including special items -- compared to a loss of $66 million in the same period last year. This was Continental's first profitable first quarter since before the industry downturn that began in 2001. Operating profit rose to $64 million, up an impressive $53 million from last year.
American yesterday reported a first-quarter profit for the first time in seven years, with lower fuel costs helping offset the $60 million revenue hit the airline took from a bad run of winter storms.
Adrian Schofield Latin America has seen healthy capacity growth in recent years, although this overall growth pattern has been erratic in South America due in large part to the financial travails of its carriers. Throughout the wider region, economic improvement will likely be necessary for long-term expansion. The three Latin American regions together account for 8.5% of the world's population and South America is home to 5.8% of the global population, Central America for 2.3%, while the Caribbean has only 0.5%.
