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.
More work needs to be done to formalize the relationship between government agencies and the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) that was created to guide the development of the next-generation ATM system, according to an oversight report.
American this week revealed plans to spend $20 million to overhaul its first and business classes in the Boeing 767-200 transcontinental fleet. The upgrade will include new seats and entertainment systems in the premium classes, as well as a new cabin interior. The changes mean American will be able to increase its first-class seats from nine to 10 per aircraft, boosting annual first-class capacity by about 11,000 seats on transcontinental routes.
The Qantas board yesterday was reportedly considering a sweetened takeover offer by an international consortium, just a day after the board re- jected an A$11 billion (US$8.6 billion) bid by the group. Major local newspapers said the board was on the verge of agreeing to a purchase price of A$5.60 a share, compared with the initial offer of A$5.50 a share. Intense speculation has surrounded the airline's future since it confirmed an approach by a consortium that includes Australia's Macquarie Bank and U.S.-based Texas Pacific Group (DAILY, Nov. 27).
