Business Briefs

Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire

Thursday, July 4, 1996

About 90 percent of the seats have already been sold on the next nine flights, said Diane Quitiquit, director of the county Department of Research and Development.

Three of those flights have been totally sold out, she said.

"We credit this success to the marketing strength of (Japan Airlines) and the support of travel companies within Japan," Quitiquit said.

Ken Johnston, head of the Hawaii Visitors Bureau on the Big Isle, said the heavy July traffic was unexpected to him and local businesses.

Next month will be busy as well since August flights are typically booked, he said.

"We're happy, and I'd suspect those businesses who are aggressively marketing to these Japanese visitors are beginning to feel positive economic impacts," Johnston said.

GM and lawyers representing owners on Wednesday said the far-reaching settlement was granted preliminary approval by State District Judge Jack T. Marionneaux.

The settlement covers 1973-87 C-K model and 1987-91 R-V model pickup trucks equipped with side-mounted gas tanks.

The settlement is designed to compensate owners for lost resale value because of the controversy surrounding the trucks' controversial side-mounted fuel tanks.

Owners should receive notice by August and, if no one objects at the Nov. 6 hearing, a final settlement could be reached by January 1997.