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.
Airbus yesterday announced another launch customer for its A330 Freighter program. Turkish carrier MNG signed a memorandum of understanding to order two A330-200Fs with an option for one more. MNG already operates 10 A300 freighters. The airline wants to expand outside of Europe to Chinese and U.S. cities. It already carries more than 85% of Turkish cargo capacity. The industrial launch of the A330-200F program occurred on Jan. 17. -AS
Continental has seen the largest increase in share value of any major U.S. airline since the industry began to return to profitability in the third quarter of 2005, but prospects for future growth are waning, says JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker. JP Morgan downgraded its investment advice on Continental, predicting industry-high ex-fuel costs and lagging operating margins for 2007. Cooling enthusiasm for industry consolidation also makes a merger involving Continental even less likely, Baker says. -AS
British Airways' cabin crew union yesterday backed away slightly from its strike brinkmanship, postponing its threatened walkout for a day to allow more time for negotiations with the airline.
