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Business Briefs

Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire

Friday, September 29, 2000

Hawaiian pilots get large strike fund

Pilots for Hawaiian Airlines Inc. said today they have received a $2 million grant from their union that would help them prepare for a possible strike.

Hawaiian spokesman Keoni Wagner characterized the announcement as standard union practice, and said mediation with the pilots' association was progressing.

Hawaiian's 450 pilots have been in contract talks with management since November. The pilots' 1996 contract opened to amendments on Feb. 28. The National Mediation Board is overseeing the talks. Only the board can end mediation, after which both sides would face a 30-day cooling-off period before a strike would be possible.

Alpa said it is paying for the grant through its major contingency fund.

Adtech chosen isle exporter of the year

Adtech Inc., a Honolulu manufacturer of test systems for broadband computer networks, was named overall Hawaii exporter of the year, the highest of three awards announced yesterday by Gov. Ben Cayetano. Adtech sells its products on the mainland and in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

The other awards went to Hibiscus Aloha Corp., manufacturer of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and other Hawaii confections, as best exporter of manufactured products and to AM Partners Inc., an architecture and design firm, as the best exporter of professional services.

Fiji airline to fly Honolulu-Vancouver

Fiji-based Air Pacific will launch a twice-a-week service Sunday between Honolulu and Vancouver, B.C., using new 154-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The flights, which will originate in Nadi, Fiji, will leave Honolulu at 9:15 a.m. each Sunday and Friday.

Michael Londregan, Air Pacific's director for the Americas, said Canadians are showing a growing interest in visiting Fiji and they will now be able to make a free stopover in Hawaii on the way. The new service will also suit Hawaii residents who want to take a vacation in the Vancouver area, he said.