Briefcase

Fewer passengers used Spokane airport in May

Airplane passenger boardings were down by 2.5 percent in May at Spokane International Airport.

The airport logged 124,221 passengers during the month, compared with 127,405 during May 2010.

Alaska, Frontier and U.S. Airways all reported increased traffic on their routes.

The first five months of the year have seen an increase in passenger traffic of 0.63 percent.

Airport Director Lawrence J. Krauter said in a news release that the passenger boardings were good, considering air carriers had reduced available seats by 12 percent.

A seasonal blip in freight traffic led to a 9.57 percent decrease in tonnage moving through the airport from 4,050 tons in May 2010 to 3,662 last May.

Freight was up by 1.45 percent for the first five months of the year.

Felts Field saw a 7.57 percent decline in aviation operations with 6,756 aircraft moving through the airport. For the year, aviation traffic is down 26 percent. Bad weather is being blamed for part of the decline.

Staff report

Buffett donates stock to Gates Foundation

SEATTLE – Investor Warren Buffett has made his annual gift of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, turning over about $1.5 billion worth of stock.

According to a Thursday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Buffett donated 19.34 million Class B shares of the company’s stock. The closing price of Class B shares on Thursday was $77.77.

Associated Press

Boeing plane deliveries up slightly for quarter

CHICAGO – Boeing Co. said Thursday that second-quarter commercial aircraft deliveries rose slightly from a year ago.

The company said it delivered 118 commercial aircraft in the quarter, compared with 114 a year earlier.

Boeing said in January that it expected to deliver 485 to 500 planes this year.

Associated Press