Air traffic drops 3.1%

Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic declined 3.1 percent in November from the year-earlier period despite carrying more seats.

The state’s largest carrier said Monday it transported 766,252 people last month compared with 791,033 in November 2012.

First Hawaiian reopens in Aina Haina

First Hawaiian Bank’s new Aina Haina branch opened Monday in the former site of the state’s first McDonald’s restaurant in the Aina Haina Shopping Center.

The 5,700-square-foot branch at 820 Hind Drive is double the size of a smaller, older branch it replaced in the same center.

First Hawaiian opened the original Aina Haina branch in 1960. Lois Tojio, senior vice president, has been with the Aina Haina branch for 32 years and will continue to serve as its branch manager.

Bankoh donations reach $3.1 million

Bank of Hawaii’s charitable giving for 2013 topped $3.1 million, the bank said Monday. The bank gave roughly $2.4 million. Employees, directors and retirees donated $601,443 as part of a Live Kokua Giving Campaign. A Community Walk raised $105,636.

The Kokua campaign’s largest donation was $167,886 to Aloha United Way.

The bank also pledged $150,000 to the Queen’s Medical Center-West Oahu, which is opening in the former Hawaii Medical Center-West site in the spring; $100,000 to the Polynesian Voyaging Society-Hoku­le‘a’s World Wide Voyage; $150,000 to Pathways to Resilient Communities, which identifies middle school students at risk of dropping out; and $100,000 to the Diocese of Hono­lulu to be focused exclusively on homelessness and housing.

Queen’s West Oahu opens imaging center

The Queen’s Medical Center is opening an imaging center at its West Oahu campus today.

The Queen’s Imaging Physician’s Office BuildingWest Oahu is the first service to begin accepting patients at the former Hawaii Medical Center-West hospital, which closed in 2011. Queen’s acquired HMC-West from St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii in December 2012 and is reopening the entire hospital, including West Oahu’s only emergency room, next spring.

The imaging center, which provides X-ray and ultrasound services, will operate Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 691-3663.

Fed expected to reduce its bond buying

NEW YORK » The vast majority of business economists believe the Federal Reserve will begin to pull back on its massive economic stimulus program in the first three months of 2014, according to a November survey done by the National Association of Business Economists.

The survey also showed a majority of economists believe the United States’ economic recovery will accelerate next year.

NABE surveyed 51 economists between Nov. 8 and 19 and found that 62 percent of respondents believe the Fed will pull back on its bond-buying program in the first quarter of 2014. Another 30 percent believe the Fed will begin to reduce its bond buying in the second quarter of 2014.

Combined, 9 out of 10 economists believe the Fed’s stimulus program will wind down next year, after being in place in its current form since December 2012.

Sysco to buy key rival in $3.5 billion deal

HOUSTON » One of the largest food supply companies is buying one of its key rivals, creating an even larger, global distribution company.

Sysco is buying privately held US Foods for about $3.5 billion in cash and stock. When the deal closes, Sysco expects the addition of US Foods to boost its annual sales by about 46 percent to around $65 billion.

Sysco shares rose almost 10 percent Monday and hit their highest point in decades.

Houston’s Sysco will pay $3 billion in common stock and $500 million in cash. It will also assume or refinance about $4.7 billion in debt. That puts the total value of the deal at about $8.2 billion.

ON THE MOVE

Cades Schutte has announced three new partnerships: 

» Amanda M. Jones concentrates her practice on civil trial and appellate cases, administrative proceedings and alternative dispute resolution. Her experience includes serving as co-editor of the Hawaii Employment Law Letter and editor-in-chief of the University of Hawaii Law Review.

» Teri-Ann E.S. Nagata practices in the areas of commercial and real estate litigation, construction law and litigation, and creditors’ rights and bankruptcy. Her experience includes serving as a law clerk for the Honorable William G. Young of U.S. District Court for the district of Massachusetts and the Honorable Richard R. Clifton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

» Nathan T. Okubo practices in the areas of real estate, banking and financing, hospitality and resort property, public utilities and telecommunications, and land use, zoning and entitlements.

Network Enterprises has announced its new board of directors for 2014: Michael J. Nakano, chair; Carswell J. Ross Jr., vice chair; Kekoa Beaupre, treasurer; Shelley Ellwin, secretary; Diane C. Haar, member; and Bruce Mcewan, member.

Associa Hawaii has announced that Christy Hinds has been promoted to vice president overseeing the island of Hawaii’s operations. Hinds served as an account executive in 2008 for Certified Management, now known as Associa Hawaii.