BUSINESS BRIEFS
Aussie firm buys Oahu water park
Advertiser Staff
Australian-based Village Roadshow Ltd. has agreed to acquire Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park for $27 million, the company announced today.
The deal is expected to close in early May, VRL said in a news release.
VRL is Australia's largest theme park operator, with most of its operations on the Queensland Gold Coast. More than 4.2 million guests visited VRL parks during the year ending June 30, 2007.
"The acquisition of Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park is in line with our strategic focus on theme parks," said VRL Managing Director Graham Burke.
"The existing park will provide the fundamental infrastructure around which to create a world-class, family-oriented water park experience in a spectacular 30-acre tropical setting, to which we can apply our highly successful Gold Coast formula that has created one of the world's most successful water parks," he said.
HAWAIIAN AIR ON-TIME SERVICE NO. 1
Hawaiian Airlines was the nation's top airline for on-time performance and baggage service in January, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Aloha Airlines had the fewest customer complaints and had the next-best on-time record during the month.
Mesa Airlines was 16th out of 20 carriers for punctuality. Mesa's Phoenix-based parent, Mesa Air Group, owns go! airline.
AIR CAPACITY TO ISLES EXPECTED TO FALL
Airline capacity on flights to Hawai'i is expected to fall to 2.56 million seats for the next three months, down 1 percent from the same period last year, according to a report released yesterday.
International seats are projected to fall 12.4 percent to 636,515. Air seats from Japan are projected to fall 15.4 percent to 402,115.
Domestic scheduled service to Hawai'i for the March-to-May period is expected to climb to 1.9 million air seats, a 3.4 percent increase over the same time the year before. U.S. West seats are expected to rise 4.1 percent during the period, reaching 1.64 million. U.S. East air seats are forecast to fall by 0.3 percent to 283,940.
LINGLE NAMED SALESPERSON OF YEAR
The Sales and Marketing Executives International Honolulu Chapter named Gov. Linda Lingle as its 2007 Salesperson of the Year.
Lingle will be honored at a luncheon March 19 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.
The local SMEI chapter said it is recognizing Lingle and her Cabinet for their commitment to "raising the standard of living through improving the state's business climate, offering targeted tax relief, providing affordable housing programs, reforming education and developing innovative ideas."
2008 AUTO SHOW BEGINS TOMORROW
More than 350 2008-model cars, trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles will be on display at the First Hawaiian International Auto Show, which will run tomorrow through Sunday at the Hawai'i Convention Center.
The show also will allow attendees to compare the latest fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles.
Show hours are from noon to 10:30 p.m. tomorrow and Friday, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $7 general; $5 for students, military and those 62 and older; $4 for children 7 to 12; free for kids 6 and younger.
