BUSINESS BRIEFS
Phoenix flights to Kona to start
Advertiser Staff and News Services
US Airways/America West Airlines will begin daily direct flights from Phoenix to Kona next month, bringing as many as 190 more passengers to the island a day, the Big Island Visitors Bureau said yesterday.
Passengers on the March 2 inaugural flight will be greeted with hula dancers and lei.
HMSA TO HOLD JOB FAIR FEB. 25
The Hawaii Medical Service Association is holding a job fair at its Kapolei office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 25.
Applicants should bring a current resume and be prepared for an interview. For more information, call the HMSA employment office in Honolulu at 948-5588.
CHINA SURGING IN EXPORT MARKET
SHANGHAI, China — Chinese exports unexpectedly surged last month, suggesting that China's massive trade surplus with the world could soar even higher this year and aggravate anti-Sino sentiments in the U.S. Congress. In January, China ran a trade surplus of about $9.5 billion, up 47 percent from a year earlier, the government said yesterday.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CARS
Cars from Honda Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. occupy 10 of the top dozen spots in the annual "green car" survey to be released today.
But only three of the most environmentally friendly vehicles are gas-electric hybrids, because advances in fuel economy and emission controls have boosted several conventional cars onto the list compiled by the Washington-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
The council's Green Book (www.greenercars.com) rates 459 passenger models for 2006.
KB HOME CITES DROP IN BUSINESS
LOS ANGELES — KB Home says the number of canceled home orders rose in the first two months of the year while net orders for new homes fell 21 percent in the first quarter — a trend that could lead the company to adjust revenue projections if it continues. The company pointed out the trend in a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
