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HAWAII

Hawaiian Air fills most seats

Hawaiian Airlines said yesterday it had the greatest percentage of available seats filled in February of all 29 U.S.-based carriers that reported traffic data.

The airline, which posted an 82.7 percent load factor for scheduled systemwide operations, improved 13.9 percentage points from 68.8 percent in February 2003. For the first two months of the year, Hawaiian's load factor is 81.4 percent, up 12.7 percentage points from 68.7 percent in the year-ago period.

JetBlue (77.9 percent), Spirit (75.9 percent), Northwest (74.5 percent) and United (73.2 percent) rounded out the top five.

Hawaiian attracted more passengers in February than in the year-earlier period as traffic rose 4.7 percent to 443,578 from 423,492.

The airline also showed year-over-year increases for revenue passenger miles and available seat miles.

Its revenue passenger miles, which represents total miles flown times the number of paying passengers, jumped 29.1 percent last month to 443.3 million from 343.4 million.

Available seat miles -- one seat available for one mile -- gained 7.5 percent in February to 536.2 million from 499 million.

NATION

Crude oil prices near 13-year high

Crude oil traded near the highest closing price since before the 1990-91 Gulf War after the U.S. government said gasoline inventories fell last week, adding to concern about lean supplies before demand peaks in the summer.

Gasoline supplies in the U.S. fell 800,000 barrels to their lowest since November. That may raise demand for crude oil to be processed in refineries two weeks before the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries plans to remove 1 million barrels a day from global supply.

"We could hit $40 anytime. The market is so vulnerable -- I just don't see a lot of good news for the consumer," said Bob Frye, a commodities broker at Access Futures & Options Trading, a commodity futures brokerage in Woodlake, Calif. "OPEC is a huge concern."

Airport security shortcut proposed

WASHINGTON >> The Bush administration wants to begin testing in June a program that would allow certain airline travelers not considered terrorist threats to avoid extra security inspections at airports, a federal official said.

Under the "registered traveler program" passengers would pay a fee and submit to government background checks. If they are not found to be potential threats, they would avoid being randomly selected for the follow-up screening that some travelers face at checkpoints where carry-on bags pass through metal detectors.

David Stone, acting chief of the Transportation Security Administration, said the goal is to move law-abiding travelers more quickly to their planes and permit screeners to focus more on people about whom the government has less information.

Management shuffle at Cheesecake Factory

CALABASAS, Calif. >> The Cheesecake Factory Inc. reported three changes in its top management yesterday as its corporate president resigned and two veteran executives took on new assignments.

President Jerry Deitchle, who'd been with the upscale chain for nine years and served as chief financial officer, resigned to become president of an unannounced, Texas-based restaurant chain. A native Texan, he'd maintained family ties to the state and had expressed a desire to return.

"We're sad to see him go," said Howard Gordon, senior vice president of business development and marketing. "We know he's definitely made tremendous contributions to our company."

David Overton, the company's founder, chairman and chief executive, will take over as corporate president.

Microsoft apologizes for anticompetitive acts

MINNEAPOLIS >> Microsoft Corp. apologized to jurors for its past anticompetitive practices during opening statements yesterday in a case alleging the company's antitrust violations include word processing and spreadsheet software.

"Yes, we acknowledge that and we apologize for it," said David Tulchin, a Microsoft attorney. "The conduct involved competition that went over the line. The question for you is whether or not consumers were overcharged."

Tulchin was referring to actions that were the subject of a settlement Microsoft reached with the Justice Department in 2001 in a lawsuit regarding the company's operating-system monopoly. That settlement was admitted into evidence in the Minnesota case.

WORLD

Air Canada investor issues threat

TORONTO >> Hong Kong billionaire Victor Li has threatened to "walk away" from a planned $488 million investment in Air Canada, citing refusals by unions to discuss changes to the bankrupt company's pension plan.

In a terse statement released yesterday, Li's Trinity Time Investments -- whose deal for restructuring Air Canada has received court approval -- said it's now reconsidering its entire investment in the airline. Trinity's departure would be a serious blow to restructuring efforts at Air Canada, which has been operating under bankruptcy protection for nearly a year.

Air Canada has slashed thousands of jobs in an effort to emerge from bankruptcy protection by the end of April.