Business Briefs

Asner unable to boost ‘Five-0′ in ratings

The Emmy-winning star power of Ed Asner and a creative blending of original and new episodes of "Hawaii Five-0" couldn’t help the show win the ratings war Monday night, according to Nielsen ratings released by the network.

"Five-0" drew 9.31 million viewers, well back of ABC’s "Castle," which topped the hour with an audience of 11.52 million, according to Nielsen. The NBC Broadway drama "Smash" attracted 6.56 million people. It was the first time in several weeks that "Castle" had found a larger audience than "Five-0."

Among adults 18-49, "Five-0" drew 2.5 percent of the total viewing audience and 6 percent of those watching TV at the time. Similarly, "Castle" drew 2.3 percent of the total viewing audience and 6 percent of those watching TV.

The episode was the first new one since Feb. 27. CBS has not announced when another new episode will air. On Monday there will be a repeat, and the Monday after that, CBS will air the NCAA men’s basketball championship.

The 82-year-old Asner reprised a character — Hono­lulu smuggler August March — whom he first played during a 1975 episode of the original "Five-0." CBS used scenes from the 1975 episode for a flashback.

Hawaiian Airlines adds sixth Airbus to fleet

Hawaiian Airlines has added a sixth new Airbus A330-200 to its fleet and is planning to add capacity earlier than scheduled to its Osaka and Sydney routes.

The company said Tuesday the 294-seat A330 that was recently delivered began servicing one of the daily Los Angeles-Hono­lulu routes March 13, just three days after flying nonstop for more than 8,200 miles and 17 hours from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, to Hono­lulu. It is one of four A330s that will join the Hawaiian fleet in the first half of this year. The other A330s are due in April, May and June.

Hawaiian said it also will shift to an A330 from a 264-seat Boeing 767-300ER on its Osaka-Hono­lulu route beginning March 31 and Sydney-Hono­lulu route April 24 — both dates earlier than scheduled. It will launch its nonstop service from JFK Airport in New York to Hono­lulu with an A330 on June 5. The flight will make its inaugural flight from Hono­lulu the day before.

"Our strategic growth plan is on schedule, and we’re putting these new aircraft to work where they are needed most to fulfill travel demand for Hawaii and expand our service," Hawaiian President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said.

Hawaiian said it will have nine A330 aircraft in its fleet by the end of June and is taking delivery of 13 additional A330s between 2013 and 2015.

Territorial Savings debuts mobile banking

Territorial Savings Bank has introduced mobile banking that will allow its customers to monitor their accounts, locate branches, transfer funds and pay bills. Customers can access mobile banking through text messaging, mobile browsers and downloadable applications for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. More than 25 percent of U.S. households use mobile banking, according to a recent survey by Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv, which is providing the technology.

Territorial, the state’s fifth-largest bank, has 27 branches statewide and $1.5 billion in assets.

Isle employers nominated for Freedom Award

Thirty-four employers in Hawaii have been nominated for the Department of Defense’s highest recognition given to employers. Each of the organizations was nominated by a National Guard member or reservist who got exceptional support from their employer while serving as a citizen soldier. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a DOD agency, received 3,236 nominations nationwide. Up to 15 recipients will be named this summer and honored Sept. 20 at the Freedom Award ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Isle employers nominated for the Freedom Award were HQ USPACOM (Camp H.M. Smith); Ewa Elementary School, Department of Education (Ewa Beach); Installation Management Command of the Pacific (Fort Shafter); ACE-IT (Fort Shafter); 624 Regional Support Group (Hickam AFB); Booz Allen Hamilton (Hono­lulu); City and County of Hono­lulu (Hono­lulu); Customs and Border Protection (Hono­lulu); Federal Detention Center (Hono­lulu), Hawaiian Airlines (Hono­lulu), Hawaiian Electric Co. (Hono­lulu), Hono­lulu Police Department (Hono­lulu), Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (Hono­lulu), Oahu Transit Services-Paratransit Division (Hono­lulu); Otis Elevator Co. (Hono­lulu); RCO Hawaii LLC (Hono­lulu), Servco Pacific (Hono­lulu); Social Security Administration (Hono­lulu); Straub Clinic & Hospital (Hono­lulu); Walmart No. 3478 (Hono­lulu); North Shore Mental Health Inc. (Kahuku); Lowes (Kahu­lui); Tesoro Hawaii (Kapo­lei); ITT Exelis (Kekaha); WASH Service Co. (Pearl City); Army Substance Abuse Program (Schofield Barracks); U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii, PTA (Schofield Barracks); El Palenque (Wahiawa); Maui Police Department (Wai­luku); and Installation Operation Center/DPTMS (Wheeler Army Airfield).

ON THE MOVE

Castle Resorts & Hotels has announced the following new appointments:

>> Jeanning Aldrete as general manager of rental operations at Kona Reef on Hawaii island. She has nearly 20 years of Kauai and Big Island hotel and resort management experience, and was previously a rooms division manager for Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.

>> Stephen Hicks as general manager of rental operations at Kona Bali Kai on Hawaii island. He has more than 20 years of Hawaii management and business owner experience and was previously an assistant resort manager for WorldMark Resort in Kailua-Kona.

Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties honored the following agents with its International President’s Premier award at its banquet and luncheon last month: Anne Hogan Perry, John Peterson, Hollace A. Turl and Tracy Allen. Eighty-seven other agents achieved Coldwell Banker International Awards status based upon sales volume of properties sold in 2011.