Hawaiian Air passenger numbers up 6.7%

Hawaiian Airlines’ passenger traffic rose 6.7 percent in November from the year-earlier period as the airline added more seats.

There were 817,583 people transported compared with 766,252 in November 2013. The load factor, or the percentage of seats filled, rose 1.1 percentage points to 80.3 percent from 79.2 percent. Revenue passenger miles, or one paying passenger transported one mile, rose 4.4 percent to 1.11 million from 1.07 million while available seat miles, or one seat transported one mile, increased 2.9 percent to 1.39 million from 1.35 million.

EV charging stations installed at Maui Mall

Honolulu-based Volta Industries announced the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles on Maui at Maui Mall in Kahului outside of the Whole Foods Market.

Volta designs, installs and maintains EV charging stations for properties, and provides the energy free of charge to EV drivers. Volta makes money from advertising on the charging stations. The stations provide about 20 to 25 miles worth of range per hour of charging.

Volta also has charging stations at Whaler’s Village in Lahaina.

Hilo ranks second for costliest Christmas

Hilo is the second-costliest place to celebrate Christmas in the U.S., according to online personal finance site Nerdwallet.com.

The average family of four in Hilo will spend $1,172 for the gifts, decorations, greeting cards, flowers, Christmas tree, food, four movie tickets and wine. That is second only to the $1,294 average holiday spending in New York.

Honolulu spending is ranked 10th in the nation, at $1,038, behind Brooklyn, N.Y.; Boston; Stamford, Conn.; Providence, R.I.; Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska; and Portland, Ore.

The U.S. city in which celebrating Christmas with the identical shopping list is cheapest is McAllen, Texas, with an average cost of $717.87.

State to measure isle Internet service

Performance of Internet service statewide will be measured by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, which is seeking volunteers to help in the effort.

The DCCA’s Cable Television Division is launching the program to expand Hawaii’s team of volunteers under the Federal Communications Commission’s Measuring Broadband America program. It is a nationwide study of consumer broadband performance, according to a statement.

The goal of the Measuring Broadband Hawaii program is to increase information available to consumers and policymakers about Internet service around the state, with a special focus on rural communities. Those who participate will receive free devices that plug into their modems that run periodic tests to measure speed and quality of Internet service. The boxes do not collect personal browsing data, nor will they affect volunteers’ online activity.

Participants also will receive access to a personal reporting suite allowing them to monitor their own Internet service in real time.

Interested consumers can sign up online at bit.ly/hibroadbandform.

HVCB picks Shift to launch new campaign

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has selected Shift Communications as its social media agency of record.

Shift, established in Boston with offices in New York and San Francisco, will work with the HVCB and its partner agencies to develop and launch a new promotional campaign in 2015.

"Given Hawaii’s incredibly storied culture and vast appeal to a diverse range of travelers across the continent, we’re honored that HVCB has selected us as its partner to help showcase this incredible destination," Victoria Boed, Shift vice president of account services, said in a statement.

Working with Shift "will help us better reach and engage our resident and visitor social advocates who take thousands of photos and videos of their Hawaii experiences," Michael Ni, HVCB digital strategist, said in the announcement.

Merck deal brings mergers to $3.4 trillion

NEW YORK » A banner year for mergers and acquisitions will be followed by more deals next year as executives grow more confident in the strength of the U.S. economy, according to the consultancy firm EY.

On Monday, drugmaker Merck announced that it was spending $8.4 billion to buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals in another sign of the recovering confidence in the market for mergers and acquisitions.

The link-up helped boost the total value of global deals this year so far to $3.4 trillion. Even if there aren’t any more big deals announced in 2014, it would be the best year since a total of $4.6 trillion in deals were struck in 2007, according to financial data provider Dealogic.

Executives are becoming more confident about the prospects for growth as the U.S. economy continues to strengthen despite sluggishness overseas.

ON THE MOVE

» Greg Kawakami was named president and chief operating officer of Wai­pono Investment Corp. He was previously a general manager for Queen Kaahumanu Center on Maui and Kings’ Shop on Hawaii island for the past eight years.

» Hawaii Energy Connection has announced T’resa Alzu­ga­ray Ferguson as chief financial officer. She has more than 15 years’ experience in upper management finance and was previously a chief financial officer of a charter airline company that flies primarily for the U.S Department of Defense.

» Servco Pacific has promoted Phyllis Hor­ner to vice president of executive development. She has been with the company for 10 years and was previously a talent development manager. Before moving to Hawaii, Horner held various positions at Ford Motor Co.’s corporate headquarters.

SHIP AHOY!