Delta, Hawaiian agree to service deal

ATLANTA » Delta Air Lines Inc.'s maintenance unit has reached an agreement for servicing Hawaiian Airlines planes, a deal that could be worth as much as $500 million over the next 17 years.

Atlanta-based Delta said yesterday that the Delta TechOps memorandum of understanding with Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines includes support for Hawaiian's new Airbus 330-200 fleet and an extension of an existing support agreement for Hawaiian's Boeing 767 fleet.

Deliveries of Hawaiian's Airbus 330-200 fleet will begin in April.

Delta is the world's biggest airline operator. It sees growth opportunities for its maintenance, repair and overhaul unit.

Tesoro loses $45 million in quarter

Tesoro Corp., operator of the largest of two refineries in Hawaii, lost $45 million in the second quarter due to lower gross margins, weak fuel demand and high inventories that hurt refining margins.

The San Antonio-based company, which had a $4 million profit a year ago, saw revenue plunge 53 percent to $4.2 billion from $8.9 billion.

At the Campbell Industrial Park facility, Tesoro's total throughput decreased 7 percent to 66,000 barrels a day from 71,000 barrels a year ago. The total number of barrels of refined products of gas, jet fuel, diesel fuel and heavy oils at the Hawaii facility fell 8.2 percent to 67,000 daily barrels from 73,000 daily barrels while the refining margin—the spread between the cost of crude oil and price of refined products—improved to $15 a barrel from a loss of $41 a barrel a year ago.

Companywide, Tesoro's gross refining margin decreased 15.6 percent to $8.52 a barrel from $10.10 a barrel.

Ritz-Carlton Kapalua luring groups

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua has launched a new campaign, “;Meetings within Reach,”; to encourage group business and incentive travel in the wake of the corporate clampdown.

Groups booking 10 or more nights by Sept. 30 for travel through Dec. 31 will receive daily continental breakfast, a general session meeting room, high-speed Internet access in one meeting room, a 20 percent discount on audio visual needs and select suite upgrades. As part of the promotion, room rates will start at $179.

Parts of U.S. see economic stability

WASHINGTON » The economy is finally showing signs of stabilizing in some regions of the country—especially in parts of the Northeast and Midwest—bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year.

A Federal Reserve snapshot of economic conditions issued yesterday found that most of the Fed's 12 regions indicated either that the recession was easing or that economic activity had “;begun to stabilize, albeit at a low level.”;

The economy remains fragile. But the fact that some Fed regions reported signs of activity beginning to level out raises hope that the recession, which started in December 2007, is drawing to a close.

On the Move

The Rotary Club of Ala Moana has elected the following officers for the 2009-2010 term:

» Kristine Westmoreland, president
» George Ing, president-elect
» Kevin McCrary, secretary
» Candice Naito, treasurer
» Richard Kagehiro, sergeant-at-arms

St. Francis Healthcare Enterprises Inc. has appointed Norman H.Y. Cheng to its board of directors. He is an associate attorney at Starn O'Toole Marcus & Fisher.

Ho'ala Landscape and Maintenance has promoted Nikki N. Saunders to office manager from administrative assistant.