The Biz Buzz

Alaska volcanic activity affecting few Alaska Airlines flights

John Gillie — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:41:17 +0000

Sea-Tac’s Alaska Airlines hasn’t yet canceled any flights because of activity at two Alaska volcanoes, the Sea-Tac-based airline said today.

But a regional Alaska airline, Pen Air, which operates flights from Anchorage to Dutch Harbor for Alaska, canceled six flights Monday and two flights Tuesday because of eruptions from Mount Pavlof near Cold Bay, Alaska. That mountain as well as Mount Cleveland located west of Dutch Harbor have been spewing ash this week.

Both Alaska Airlines and Pen Air said today they’re closing monitoring eruption information. Service to Bethel, Adak and Dutch Harbor could be affected by further eruptions.

Boeing hopes better fuel efficiency will spark new orders for lagging 747-8

John Gillie — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:55:08 +0000

Hoping a fuel economy tweak will kickstart sales of its lagging 747-8, Boeing completed its first flight test this week of an enhanced version of the 4-engine jumbo jet.

The 747-8 Intercontinental left Everett’s Paine Field Monday about 1:30 p.m. and landed four hours later at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The plane was equipped with modified General Electric engines and an improved version of the plane’s flight management computer software.

Together, those two improvements are expected bolster the plane’s fuel economy by 1.8 percent. Other enhancements Boeing has incorporated in the latest version of the 747 since its rollout have already …

Free UWT symposium will explore Washington state’s role in larger Asia-Pacific relationship

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:08:09 +0000

A free symposium scheduled for Wednesday at the University of Washington Tacoma campus will offer insights into Washington state’s role in the United States’ growing Asia-Pacific emphasis.

The event, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at William W. Philip Hall is sponsored by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the Pierce Military and Business Alliance, The News Tribune, Topia Technology and the UW Tacoma Chancellor’s Office.

Featured speakers will include Maj. Gen. Jeff Buchanan from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Daniel Malarkey of the Washington State Department of Commerce, Michael Rawding from Deerhorn Advisors and Beth Rivin from the University of …

KWA hiring 100 home care workers Wednesday

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:57:34 +0000

KWA, formerly the Korean Womens Association, is hiring 100 home care workers at a work fair scheduled for Wednesday at Work Force Central, 3650 S. Cedar Street in Tacoma.

KWA supervisors will be on site to make immediate hiring decisions. The hiring fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The social services organization will provide training for the workers. Wages range from $10.17 to $10.88 an hour depending on the worker’s experience.

KWA is partnering with Home Depot, Work Source, Work Force Central and American Medical Rental & Supply to present the hiring fair.

“This is an awesome opportunity to …

South Sound gas prices once again pass $4 level

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:24:45 +0000

Average gasoline prices in the South Sound once again have moved beyond $4 a gallon.

Unfortunately, those prices aren’t exactly unmapped territory for South Sound consumers. Average gas prices have crossed that $4 barrier, four times in the last two years and six times in the last five years.

Average prices at Tacoma area stations Monday were $4.02 for unleaded regular, a little less than 4 cents higher than a week ago and about 40 cents per gallon higher than a month earlier.

Chalk up those price increases to higher priced crude oil moving into the refineries and to seasonal …

Local inflation quiet, up 0.4 percent over the past two months and 1.2 percent in the past year

C.R. Roberts — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:16:35 +0000

Inflation remains uninflated.

Overall prices in the Puget Sound area rose only 0.4 percent over the past two months, while the past year has shown an increase of 1.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its recent regular report.

The price of gasoline, typically a volatile indicator, rose only only 0.5 percent over the past two months. The price for the year is down 10.7 percent, and has decreased 4.1 percent over the past month, the bureau reported.

Household electricity sparked the greatest increase of the prices listed by the bureau, higher by 2.6 percent both for the …

All Nippon Airways Dreamliner experiences minor electrical problem on test flight

John Gillie — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:17:20 +0000

An All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner equipped with Boeing’s updated lithium ion battery system experienced a minor electrical issue during a test flight earlier this month, Flightglobal.com reports.

The problem was traced to a loose fastener on an electrical distribution panel, not the new battery or its charging system.

The issue happened on a May 4 proving flight between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Chitose. ANA is extensively testing the Dreamliners’ modified electrical systems before returning its 18 Dreamliners to commercial operations.

The airliner was carrying only a pilot and a co-pilot on the test flight. The crew was alerted …

Tacoma’s MultiCare Health System, Grays Harbor Community Hospital to form alliance

John Gillie — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:56 +0000

The regional trend of smaller hospitals forming alliances with large health systems continued Friday as Grays Harbor Community Hospital announced it has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with Tacoma’s MultiCare Health System.

The two health care organizations said they’re forming the alliance to “share clinical best practices and expand services in Grays Harbor County and the surrounding region.”

“We are excited to build on our longstanding relationship with Grays Harbor Community Hospital to help improve access to care service for area residents,” said Diane Cecchettini, chief executive officer at MultiCare. “Our two systems have collaborated for years, particularly …

Sea-Tac shuffling its airlines and ticket counters once more

John Gillie — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:10:42 +0000

In one of the last and largest moves in a terminal and gate realignment that began early this year at Sea-Tac Airport, United Airlines next week will move its ticket counter from the far north end of the terminal to the south end and move its gates from the North Satellite to Concourse A.

The move will enable the airport’s most popular airline, Alaska, to concentrate most of its gates in the North Satellite terminal. Some Alaska flights will continue to depart from the C Concourse, and others will use D Concourse gates, but the airline’s use of that concourse …

Some Boeing 777 engines suffering from gear problems

John Gillie — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:55:50 +0000

General Electric, maker of the engines on Boeing’s popular 777-300ER jets, has told airlines that a problem with 118 engines produced between last fall and early this spring have a problem that could cause the engines to be shut down.

Those engines have a faulty gearbox. The engine maker said 25 jets built by Boeing have two engines with those potentially faulty gearboxes that should be fixed immediately.

Two 777s have suffered gear separation while airborne. Both flights were able to continue flying on their single remaining engine to a nearby airport.