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.
Boeing yesterday revealed that Brazilian carrier TAM is the buyer for four 777-300ERs that last week were attributed to an unidentified customer. TAM first announced its intention to order these aircraft in October, and has now added four further options. It will be the first Latin American carrier to operate the -300ER. TAM said the planes will allow the airline more capacity and flexibility on long-haul international routes. The carrier is using three MD-11s on transatlantic flights until the 777s are delivered.
FAA decided to take all three major bidding teams to the next round in its competition for a big satellite surveillance contract. The three teams are contending to provide an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system, which FAA regards as a crucial plank of its future ATC system. Late last week, FAA's Joint Resources Council approved funding for the second phase of this program, which will include nationwide deployment.
UPS last week set a timeline for deciding if it will go ahead with its order for 10 Airbus A380 freighters, agreeing to give Airbus a decision later this year. The announcement is good news in that its sole customer for the A380 freighter is still on board, but bad news in that a cancellation remains a possibility. UPS said its original A380 order was based on a detailed evaluation of its requirements, and these factors haven't changed. However, the company has been "evaluating various options" since Airbus revealed A380 production delays.
