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HAWAII

Trustee's Office opposes $8M Hawaiian Air tab

Former Hawaiian Airlines trustee Joshua Gotbaum's $8 million success fee request for guiding the carrier through bankruptcy is being opposed by the agency that hired him.

The Office of the U.S. Trustee, calling the amount of Gotbaum's request unreasonable, said in a federal Bankruptcy Court filing yesterday it would support paying Gotbaum another $1.15 million in addition to the $1.15 million he previously received as compensation.

The Trustee's Office, while acknowledging the positive outcome of the case, said it was the result of the combined efforts of "all the professional firms in this case and the thousands of employees of Hawaiian Airlines."

The Trustee's Office said Gotbaum's fee request, along with his two years of compensation, works out to a rate of $1,832.50 an hour for the 4,995 hours that Gotbaum claims he worked on the case. The Trustee's Office said the amount it is proposing -- along with his previous compensation -- would equate to $461 an hour.

Moreover, the Trustee's Office noted that the amount paid to professionals by the airline since Gotbaum's appointment on July 3, 2003, has exceeded $34 million.

Pasha holds off on fuel surcharge

Hawaii's newest shipping company, Pasha Hawaii, announced yesterday it won't join the growing number of local shippers that have increased fuel surcharges for the goods that they transport.

"Pasha Hawaii has elected not to modify its fuel surcharge at this time," said George Pasha IV, president of Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines.

Customers who use Pasha to ship vehicles, household goods, construction equipment, busses, trucks and other oversized cargo between Southern California and Hawaii aren't likely to see increased charges in the immediate future, the company said.

Pasha Hawaii operates a 579-foot transport ship between Southern California and Hawaii. The modern design is environmentally friendly and fuel efficient, Pasha said.

Earlier this month, Matson Navigation Co. announced that higher fuel prices were forcing the company to raise its surcharge 13 percent, to 13 percent from 11.5 percent, for goods shipped to the state. Matson's announcement followed news from Horizon Lines that the shipper would impose a 2.5 percent emergency fuel surcharge in addition to its 11.5 percent fuel surcharge.

Hawaiian flies 3.7% more passengers

Hawaiian Airlines' passenger traffic rose 3.7 percent in August to 531,934 from 512,770 a year earlier. Revenue passenger miles increased 9.6 percent to 628.2 million from 573.4 million. A revenue passenger mile is one paying passenger carried one mile.