Hawaiian Airlines retained its top spot in monthly on-time ratings as the latest government report shows airlines doing a little better at arriving on time.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday that 80.5 percent of flights operated by the leading airlines were on time in May, up from 76.9 percent in May 2014.
But the on-time rating was down from April’s 81.8 percent, and 16 flights were stuck on the tarmac longer than federal rules allow. Ten of those flights were delayed on the same stormy day at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
Hawaiian Airlines (90.9 percent), Alaska Airlines (88.0 percent) and Delta Air Lines (87.2 percent) had the best on-time ratings, while Spirit Airlines (61.2 percent) had the worst. Nearly 40 percent of Spirit flights arrived at least 15 minutes behind schedule, and the low-cost airline was late for two straight months on four routes to or from Dallas.
Spirit also had the highest complaint rate among the 14 airlines covered in the report, followed by Frontier Airlines.
Envoy Air, which operates many American Eagle regional flights, canceled 3.7 percent of its flights, the highest rate among the reporting airlines.
In other categories, Hawaiian ranked first in fewest flight cancellations with 0.1 percent, representing seven cancellations out of 6,434 flights. Hawaiian had the fourth-fewest mishandled-baggage reports with 2.39 per 1,000 passengers and was ninth in consumer complaints with 1.60 per 100,000 passengers.
Finance Factors charity breakfast slated
Finance Factors will hold its 20th annual charity breakfast from 6:30 to 9 a.m. Friday. All proceeds from this year’s and next year’s events will benefit Kupu’s Ho‘ahu Capital Campaign, which will develop a Green Job Training Center in Kakaako. The training center will serve as a hub for Kupu’s award-winning statewide programs that support youth education and experience in the green jobs sector. Upon completion, the center will feature an art mural named after Finance Factors.
The breakfast at Finance Factors Center at 1164 Bishop St. will dish up Kukui Portuguese sausage, eggs and rice. The breakfast donation is $6. Finance Factors has donated more than $120,000 to over a dozen charities since beginning the breakfast two decades ago.
Cardax raises $500,000 in financing
Honolulu-based biotech firm Cardax Inc., which has lost more than $51 million since its inception in 2006, has closed on an additional $500,000 in equity financing to bring its year-to-date amount raised to $1.125 million. The company, which has no revenue, has been seeking financing to continue operating. Cardax is developing products that would provide many of the anti-inflammatory benefits of steroids.
"We expect to use these funds to advance company operations, including completion of our ongoing monkey bioavailability study and our initial commercial production strategy for CDX-085," Cardax CEO David Watumull said.
CDX-085, which is anticipated to be rolled out in 2016, is a consumer health product.
Valley Isle dominates World’s Best list
Maui is Hawaii’s best island, according to the annual Travel + Leisure World’s Best list.
Among the world’s 10 best islands, Maui was ranked No. 7, followed by Kauai, but all Hawaii contenders were bested by the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, which topped the list and were followed by Bali, Indonesia, at No. 2 and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The annual list names the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea as Hawaii’s top resort overall, and for families, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, on Oahu is again Hawaii’s best resort or hotel.
Four Seasons Maui at Wailea is Hawaii’s highest-ranking hotel, at No. 83 on the list of top 100 hotels in the world, while its sister property, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, on Hawaii island, is ranked at No. 89 and has been on the list for at least 10 years. Aulani scored 100 points and is a repeat visitor at the top of the T+L list of top family resorts in Hawaii. It is followed by the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, with just under 96 points, and Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, with slightly more than 95 points.
Virgin America was named the best domestic airline, with JetBlue ranked second and Hawaiian Airlines, on the list for at least 20 years, ranked third.
The list was compiled from reader answers to a questionnaire developed by the magazine’s editors.
ON THE MOVE
The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly has named Christian Fern as an associate executive director. Prior to joining UHPA, he served 15 years in health plan administration, including having worked as a manager of the Employer-Union Trust Fund program at Hawaii Medical Service Association.
The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce has elected the following officers for 2015-2016:
» Chairman of the board: Tyler Tokioka, vice president of External Affairs and Agency Relations, Island Insurance Co.
» President: Wayne Ishihara, president of Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce.
» Chairman-elect: Dave Erdman, president and chief executive officer of PacRim Marketing Group & PR Tech.
» Vice chairmen: Mark Ibara of Edward Enterprises; Jason Ito of Kyo-ya Management Co.; Karl Kobayashi of Carlsmith Ball; Brian Nishida of Step Stone Business Development; Terry Noyama of Servco Pacific; Melanie Okazaki of McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii; Eric Tsugawa of Tsugawa Biehl Lau & Muzzi; and Jon Tsukamoto of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
» Immediate past chairwoman: Candice Naito, senior vice president and Oahu region manager of First Hawaiian Bank.
