Passenger traffic at Sea-Tac Airport is up more than two percent during 2012′s first six months over last year’s record-setting pace.

That increase was led by a 6.57 percent increase in inbound international passenger traffic. Outbound traffic to international destinations is up 5.16 percent, new airport statistics show.

Domestic passenger traffic increased 1.68 percent through June. Total Sea-Tac Airport traffic was up by 319,217 passengers to 15,408,856, a 2.07 percent in the year’s first half.

Cargo was down slightly, 1.17 percent, the airport said.

Alaska Air Group, which owns both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air and contracts with Skywest …

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A running change in Boeing’s current generation 737 airliners is saving airlines up to two percent more fuel, Boeing says a year after the upgraded airliners began rolling out of the company’s Renton assembly plant.

What Boeing calls its “Performance Improvement Package” combines both aerodynamic upgrades and engine improvements to the popular 737 Next Generation design. Those improvements include such changes as more aerodynamic anti-collision lights, streamlined slat and spoiler trailing edges, ski-jump wheel well fairings re-contoured to smooth the air flow near the main landing gear and enhancements to the CFM engine.

More than 420 Next-Generation 737s have …

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Mid-price clothier Kohl’s Department Stores says it plans to hire 125 new workers to staff its new Gig Harbor store opening in September.

The company will hold a job fair this Saturday through Wednesday, Aug. 8, at the Inn at Gig Harbor to interview applicants for the jobs.

The company says it needs register operators, department associates, customer service associates, early-morning freight unloaders and evening ad set associates. Kohl’s employees receive what the company calls “competitive compensation, great benefits and immediate merchandise discounts.”

Applicants should visit www.kohlscareers.com or call 877-639-5645 to schedule an interview and to obtain additional …

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Call it the perils of prosperity.

The Port of Tacoma, the beneficiary with a sudden injection of new business this summer, now faces a challenge to keep up with the ceremonial duties that new business is creating.

Port of Tacoma Chief Executive John Wolfe and Port Commissioner Don Johnson welcome the containership Dusseldorf Express to Tacoma

That new business is courtesy of the move of a container line consortium from the Port of Seattle to the Port of Tacoma in mid-summer. That shift by the Grand Alliance is bringing a …

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In case Sunday’s News Tribune story on new developments on Tacoma Thea Foss Waterway gave you the idea that the Foss Waterway Seaport’s valuable community programs had gone into limbo during remodeling of the north part of its Balfour Dock building, here’s the scope:

The Foss Waterway Seaport is not totally closed. While construction is underway to install the new north glass wall and entry, the Seaport continues to serve the community by hosting educational programs such as land-based field trips, boat-based expeditions, Summer Science SeaCamps, family programs and adult classes as well as volunteer opportunities in our Heritage Boat

…

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The millionth passenger has used Sea-Tac Airport’s new rental car terminal just 10 weeks after it opened.

The airport said it counted those passengers as they rode the new natural gas-powered shuttle buses between the airport terminal and rental car facility.

The rental terminal, which opened in May, consolidates all Sea-Tac rental car companies into a single, multi-story garage and terminal.

The combined facility has eliminated dozens of separate shuttles that formerly ran to remote rental car lots near the airport. Its opening also freed up space in the airport garage that had been used by some rental car …

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Summertime gas prices appear to have stabilized in the South Sound after late May excursions above $4.30 a gallon and an early July plunge below $3.50.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the Tacoma area Friday was $3.63 a gallon for unleaded regular. That’s just 0.3 cent more than they were a week ago and just 2.4 cents more than they were a month ago in Tacoma.

That price is about 14 cents less than at this time last year.

The local price is about 13 cents a gallon more than the national average. The lowest price …

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The key to winning more aerospace business for Pierce County and Washington is a better-trained workforce.

That was the central theme Friday of the Pierce County Aerospace Summit where more than 200 aerospace suppliers and contractors gathered at the University of Washington Tacoma to hear aerospace experts talk about how the county can attract more business.

“The aerospace jobs around the world will go where the workers are,” said Alex Pietsch, director of the Washington Office of Aerospace.

Pietsch said the prospects for more aerospace business for the Evergreen State are plentiful if the state can provide the workers trained …

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