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.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has a blunt message for the many critics of the agency's proposed funding overall -- it has to happen, and it has to happen now. There is no other alternative to making dramatic changes to the FAA funding system, Blakey said at a Royal Aeronautical Society event Feb. 20 in Washington. She took issue with aviation groups on both sides of the contentious debate -- those who say the funding proposal goes too far and those arguing it doesn't go far enough.
Republican members of the House aviation subcommittee, backed by many of their Democratic counterparts, introduced a bill to accelerate FAA's plans to increase the pilot retirement age. The bill would raise the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, just as FAA plans to do in a lengthy rulemaking process. The House proposal would make the change within 30 days of its being passed.
Boeing yesterday revealed that Air New Zealand and Polish LOT are the buyers for the five anonymous 787 orders placed last week. The Air NZ deal was for four additional 787-9s. The airline in December announced plans to buy the aircraft, which will boost its total 787 orders to eight. Deliveries of the latest orders will occur between 2011 and 2013.
