Darby takes wind out of Island Air results

Island Air said Friday it completed 98.9 percent of its 1,134 scheduled flights in July but only 85 percent of the flights arrived on time.

The airline attributed the majority of the delays last month to the effects of Tropical Storm Darby.

A flight is considered on time by the U.S. Department of Transportation if it arrives within 14 minutes of its scheduled arrival time.

“We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding during Tropical Storm Darby,” Island Air President and CEO David Uchiyama said. “While we regret some flights were delayed due to the storm’s impact, our primary concern is always the safety of our passengers and crew. Our entire team remains committed to improving the overall performance of our flight operations and ensuring our customers have the best interisland travel experience.”

Island Air offers 238 flights each week between Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island on 64-seat ATR-72 aircraft.

United attendants OK combined contract

United Continental Holdings Inc.’s flight attendants approved a labor contract that will allow the carrier to put attendants from its two predecessor airlines on the same jets for the first time in the merged company’s six-year history.

The Association of Flight Attendants voted 53 percent in favor of the five-year agreement, the union said in a statement Friday. Top pay rates for the 25,000 members will rise as much as 31 percent, with maximum pay for veterans with at least 13 years of experience set at $62 an hour.

The result is a victory for Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz and his strategy of winning over a disgruntled workforce, even if it means accepting higher costs. United had failed to reach a joint flight-attendant contract since its October 2010 merger with Continental Airlines, so those employees have been separated into a pre-merger United camp, a pre-merger Continental camp and a small group of Continental Micronesia workers.

With the flight attendants’ vote, United’s mechanics are the only organized labor group at the carrier with a divided workforce. United is in negotiations with those Teamsters-represented employees over a joint agreement.

Tepid retail sales lower growth expectations

WASHINGTON >> A sluggish month of retail spending has tempered expectations for the U.S. economy’s growth in the coming months.

Consumers pulled back on shopping and eating out in July after three straight solid monthly gains, the government said Friday. Those declines were offset by increases in auto sales and online and catalog sales.

Many economists credited the surge in online and catalog spending, which rose 1.3 percent, mainly to deals offered during Amazon’s “Prime Day” on July 12. Amazon said its sales rose 60 percent on Prime Day compared with a year earlier.

J.C. Penney logs smaller loss as sales rise

NEW YORK >> After a tough start to the year, J.C. Penney’s business enjoyed a bounce in the second quarter, fueled by efforts to bring back appliances and spruce up other sections of the store.

The Plano, Texas-based department store chain reported a smaller loss for the second quarter compared to a year earlier as sales improved. CEO Marvin Ellison believes the company can maintain the momentum with a slew of new brands and other enticements coming in the next few months.

In addition to its own efforts, Penney is benefiting from store closings by Macy’s and Sears Holdings Inc. Ellison told analysts Friday the company has seen sales improve in malls where its rivals shuttered their stores.

Chinese auto sales accelerated in July

BEIJING >> China’s auto sales growth accelerated in July, an industry group said Friday, while General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. reported record demand for the month.

Sales in the world’s biggest auto market rose 26.3 percent to 1.6 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said. Total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, rose 23 percent to 1.8 million units.

Sales of SUVs, whose explosive popularity has helped to buoy demand as other categories sagged, soared 47.4 percent to 580,000 vehicles.

On the Move

Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach has announced the following new members of its executive team:

>> John Taffin is general manager. He was previously chief operating officer with CoHo Services, where he managed 12 hotels, ranging from small-end properties to large convention meeting properties.

>> Stacy Manzo is director of sales and marketing. A 31-year veteran in the travel industry, Manzo oversaw marketing and sales efforts of property sales, catering and reservations staff at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort.

Locations has promoted Dan Richards Jr. to marketing director. He started with the company as a program manager in February 2016. Richards has more than six years of experience in sales, marketing and data analysis, including previously working as a consumer marketing manager at Helloworld.com.au, and has served in marketing roles for Red Bull, Mobi PCS and ESPN 1420.