---

[ FAST FACTS HAWAII ]

---

BACK TO TOP
|

HAWAII
Aloha revenue rose 10.7% during 2004

Aloha Airlines saw its revenue increase 10.7 percent last year to $454.3 million from $410.2 million in 2003, according to a recent company filing in Bankruptcy Court.

In the recent filing, Aloha also disclosed it had $9.1 million in assets and $543.7 million in liabilities at the time of its bankruptcy. Nearly $519 million of the liabilities include secured claims from aircraft lessors, who have since been brought up to date on their monthly payments.

Chief Executive and President David Banmiller earlier this year said the airline lost $24 million in 2004 - its fifth loss in the past six years - and saw fuel prices increase by $24 million over the previous year. In January, he described the airline's cash position as "a couple million dollars" before it began receiving loans and was able to postpone making aircraft lease payments under a 60-day bankruptcy exemption.

Since then, the company has resumed aircraft payments and is in the process now of seeking additional loans from outside investors. Aloha will select a winning bidder Wednesday from among interested investors.

First Hawaiian works on wealthy

First Hawaiian Bank is making several organizational changes to focus more attention on wealth management, the company said.

Robert Fujioka, an executive vice president, will lead the bank's Commercial Banking & Trust Group and will continue to oversee corporate lending. Executive Vice President Robin Midkiff will run a new Private Banking Segment. Gregory Ratte will serve as chief investment officer of the commercial banking group and continue as president of Bishop Street Capital Management.

NATION
Fell sick? Go ahead, stay home

Did you take sick this winter, but trudge into the office anyway? Bad, bad you - but you're hardly alone in carrying your illness into work, according to a survey of 658 people.

More than three-quarters, 77 percent, said they had reported to work while sick - with 34 percent saying they did so because their heavy workload wouldn't allow otherwise. Another 26 percent said they went in ill because it felt too "risky" in the current era of general economic unease to not show up. Seventeen percent said they went to work ill because they needed to save sick days for their children.

Companies note security breaches

Recent consumer data security breaches at ChoicePoint Inc. and LexisNexis demonstrated how vulnerable our electronic information can be. Chief information officers are taking note, according to a survey.

Thirty-five percent said network security was the top priority for their information technology departments in 2005. The next most important issue, operating system upgrades/installations, was cited by 16 percent.

"Security is moving from being regarded largely as a defensive measure to one that has become an integral part of systems design," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology.