Embraer

Brazilian-based ABC Taxi Aero purchased one each of the Embraer (ERJ) Phenom 100 and Phenom 300, becoming the Latin American launch customer for the Very Light Jet (VLJ). A subsidiary of the Algar Group, ABC will take delivery of its new aircraft in the first half of 2009 and 2010, respectively. The charter company already operates three Xingus. The Phenom 100 mock-up, which has been on a worldwide tour since early this year, will debut at the New York Stock Exchange on September 5, showing off the four-passenger VLJ's cabin and cockpit as well as the 55-cubic-foot total baggage capacity. The debut, caps a five-city Brazilian tour and tours across North America and Europe where it made stops in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and France. It will join the the Phenom 300 mock-up at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention beginning on October 17 in Orlando, Florida.

Island Air

In a bid to help travelers avoid the long and crowded security lines at Maui's main airport, Island Air launched a direct daily flight from West Maui's Kapalua Airport to Maui's main air hub, Kahului Airport in the central part of the island. The new service, the carrier said, also eliminates the traffic congestion encountered when travelers drive to Kahului. The new, 15-minute, midday flight, is the airline's 16th route.

Mesa

With only two months operation under its belt, go! celebrated its 139,000 passenger last week, awarding the Waipahu, Oahu resident a new blue Diamo Retro moped, what the airline called "the second cheapest way to get around the islands." The subsidiary of Mesa (MESA) Air Group, chose the odd number to highlight its signature $39 one-way, inter-island fare.

Mesa also announced the schedule and fares for its newest Essential Air Service community, slated to be served by its subsidiary Air Midwest operating as a US Airways Express. Beginning October 5, the airline will connect Columbia, Mo. to St. Louis and Kansas City with two roundtrips daily to each point at a $59 one-way fare.

Midwest Airlines

Midwest (MEH) launched a fall fare program, reducing some Milwaukee (MKE) and Kansas City (KCI) fares to between $84 and $114 for 21-day advance purchase. Fourteen-day purchase is slightly more. The promotion includes Kansas City, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas and Denver from MKE and Nashville, Boston, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Tampa and Ft. Myers from KCI.

Pinnacle

Pinnacle Airlines (PNCL) Inflight division and the United Steel Workers Local 9-0076 were recongized with the Tennessee Center for Labor Management Relations Award of Excellence. The award, the highest level award for labor-manaement relations presented in Tennessee, goes to a Tennesseee-based organization that embodies a joint labor-management relationship which results in the development of enhanced quality, productivity, cost efficiency and morale. The two organizations where cited for their efforts at reducing employee turnover by 50 percent and the development of programs evaluating flight attendant utilization, on-the-job safety, scheduling and training. The latter resulted in flight attendant reliabilty of 99.98 percent. They were also cited for creating operating processes that have reduced forced overtime to less than 0.01 percent and the need for reserve or non-productive employee counts to less than half the industry average.