A MAUI
JUDGE has ruled that Hawaii Superferry should not be
allowed to resume service until a full environmental assessment is
completed, despite the company having received all required
approvals for service by the state. That opens the door to damage
claims by Hawaii Superferry against the State of Hawaii, although
that option has yet to surface. Superferry officials cite a total
of $300 million in construction and start-up costs, $140 million of
which involved loans backed by a federal government guarantee. In a
preamble to his ruling that acknowledged the divisiveness of the
issue, Judge Joseph Cardoza claimed it was a matter of law that
decided the case, citing the clear wording on environmental issues
that made a full assessment necessary. The judge also invalidated
the state's 22-year operating agreement with Hawaii Superferry,
signed in Sept. 2005. Hawaii Superferry is expected to file an
appeal in the state's Intermediate Court of Appeals.
MEANWHILE,
STATE LAWMAKERS in Hawaii were working rapidly to craft
legislation that would allow Hawaii Superferry to resume operations
despite the recent court ruling. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and state
Senate and House leaders met last week in an effort to build a
consensus around a proposed bill crafted specifically to remedy the
environmental entanglements that have kept the inter-island ferry
from operating between Maui, Kauai and Oahu. The governor commented
that once a consensus was reached on the legislation, a special
session of Hawaii's legislature would convene to quickly vote on
the measure. Separately, Hawaii Superferry said that it would
layoff 249 of its 308 employees. The company estimated that it is
loosing more than $600,000 each week the service remained
idle.
ALASKA
AIRLINES will begin year-round service between Anchorage
and Honolulu on Dec. 9. The announcement follows Northwest's
decision to pull out of that market, which it had served on a
seasonal basis. The nonstop flights will be offered daily through
April 26 and on Fridays and Saturdays between April 27 and Oct.
25.
HAWAIIAN
AIRLINES has been approved to operate nonstop flights
between Honolulu and Manila, Philippines, making Hawaiian the only
U.S. carrier to offer that nonstop service. Hawaiian will launch
the Manila service in March 2008 using 264-passenger Boeing
767s.
PRINCE
HOTELS & RESORTS has delayed the reopening of the
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel until late in 2008. The hotel closed this
past July to restore portions of the hotel damaged by an October
2006 earthquake. A spokesperson for the hotel said that there are
no plans to sell or tear down and rebuild the hotel. The remodeling
of the resort's golf course remains on target for a September 2008
reopening.
Hawaii
Editor: Allan Seiden
Phone: (808) 734-4677
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the Hawaii E-letter, contact Debbie Joseph at [email protected].