BUSINESS BRIEFS
Hawaiian Airlines pays out bonuses

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Hawaiian Airlines paid employees $1.9 million in first-quarter profit-sharing bonuses, the airline announced.

"When Hawaiian needed them, Hawaiian's employees were there. It's right that they should share in Hawaiian's success," said bankruptcy trustee Josh Gotbaum.

Hawaiian filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2003. Employees took cuts in compensation last year.

Matson expands cattle shipping

Matson Navigation Co. is starting a new service shipping cattle and other cargo from Hilo to Long Beach, Calif., every two weeks.

The cattle are shipped directly from the Big Island to the West Coast, instead of through Honolulu, reducing transit time by three days.

Matson also ships cattle from Kahului to Oakland, Calif., and plans to add a ship for service between Hilo and Oakland in late summer.

Seattle-Kona flight added

Northwest Airlines will begin daily service between Seattle/Tacoma and Kona starting July 15. Northwest's current service between Seattle/Tacoma and Kahului will be extended to Kona. The return Kona-Seattle/Tacoma flight will be nonstop.

Boeing 757-300s that seat 224 passengers will be used.

Bestsellers opens new store

Local independent book retailer Bestsellers Books & Music yesterday opened a store in Hawai'i Kai that company founder Brian Melzack said will be unlike the others.

The shop at Koko Marina Shopping Center is the largest of five locations, and will include an educational activity center for children in the 5,000-square-foot store.

Lottery planned for condo units

Developers of the planned twin-tower residential condominium Moana Pacific on Kapi'olani Boulevard between Pi'ikoi and Pensacola streets said a lottery sale for units in the second tower is scheduled for early June.

The first of the two 353-unit towers sold out over seven weeks, developer KC Rainbow Development LLC said. Construction is expected to start later this year.