Maui charter airline offers interisland option

KAHULUI >> A one-plane Maui charter company is offering an alternative to commuters hurt by interisland flight cuts by Hawaii's two major airlines.

Paragon Charters began offering flights to Molokai and the Big Island after Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha Airlines cut their schedules in response to the reduction in travel after Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

"It's a new service for us," said Nik Charles, president of the charter airline. "We're actually a charter service, and normally base all work around businesses."

Since last week, when Hawaii's two largest airlines cut their schedules in response to the terrorist attacks, "the phones have been ringing," Charles said. "People are trying to figure out how to get from point A to B. The County Council office has been calling."

Paragon flies one seven-seater Partenavia aircraft that measures approximately 30 feet long with a wingspan of 30 feet, Charles said.

A flight from Maui to Molokai costs $55, and Kahului to Kona costs $165, Charles said. The company also serves Oahu and Lanai. On Monday, Paragon made 15 flights between Maui, Molokai and Lanai, Charles said. Service to Kona will start Thursday, with a flight from Molokai, he said.

The flights are unscheduled -- flight times are based on when the passengers want to travel, Charles said.

Hawaii jobless rate up slightly in August

Hawaii's civilian jobless rate was 4.5 percent in August, up slightly from 4.4 percent in the same month last year.

The state's unemployment rate, which is not seasonally adjusted, is well under the unadjusted national average of 4.9 percent, which jumped from 4.1 percent a year earlier.

The number of people without jobs in Hawaii increased 3.2 percent to 27,200 in August from 26,350 in August 2000, according to the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Meanwhile, the number of people with jobs rose 2.1 percent to 581,800 from 569,750. Results by island were mixed. The Big Island's unemployment fell to 6.8 percent from 7.3 percent, while Maui's rate increased to 4 percent from 3.5 percent. Oahu's rate rose slightly to 4 percent from 3.8 percent and Kauai's jobless moved to 6.7 percent from 6.6 percent.

Human Services assigns computer contract

Affiliated Computer Services, a technology outsource company, has won a $6.1 million, five-year contract with the state Department of Human Services to support the state's Medicaid Prescription Benefit Management Program.

Dallas-based ACS will provide online and point-of-sale processing for Medicaid's fee-for-service population. The company provides similar services to Florida and South Carolina's Medicaid and Senior Prescription Program.

Advanced Micro Devices to cut 2,300 jobs

SAN JOSE, Calif. >> Advanced Micro Devices Inc. said today it is cutting 2,300 jobs, or 15 percent of its worldwide work force, and will close two chip-making factories in Texas as part of an effort to reduce costs. About 1,000 of the job cuts stem from the closure of two factories in Austin, the company said. The remaining reductions will be made at its facilities in Penang, Malaysia.