Alaska Airlines works on upgraded certification

Alaska Airlines is taking steps that could pave the way for the airline to offer service to Hawaii and Central America.

The Seattle-based airline, a division of Alaska Air Group, recently completed a demonstration of a mock emergency water landing for the Federal Aviation Administration. The drill, held in a hangar at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is a major step toward winning approval to fly over large bodies of water.

Alaska’s current certification doesn’t allow the airline to fly more than 50 miles from land.

An article on a company Web site said the approval will allow the airline to fly more direct routes to Cancun, and also gives the airline the option of expanding to serve new routes such as Hawaii and Central America.

The company told the News Tribune of Tacoma that it is keeping its options open for planning new routes.

“Hawaii is within the realm of possibilities, as are a number of others,” spokeswoman Amanda Tobin Bielawski told The Associated Press.

•Seattle-based clothing retailer Nordstrom Inc. said Tuesday it plans to expand its shipping and customer contact centers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Nordstrom plans to spend $50 million to add 258,000 square feet to the current Cedar Rapids facility of 320,000 square feet.

The plans include adding 525 employees over 10 years in the fulfillment and customer contact centers, which serve customers who buy online or through catalog phone orders. Current employment is about 667.

•A federal judge has approved a $39 million settlement in a long-running class-action lawsuit against H&R Block Inc. by customers who claimed they paid too much for refund anticipation loans.

The loans in question were part of a program under which customers who had their taxes prepared by Block were offered their refunds immediately in return for a fee. The suit said the refunds amounted to loans and cost too much.

Block argued the customers knew what they were doing when they accepted the refunds.

Chicago attorney Ronald Futterman, who represented the plaintiffs, said that if no more claims were submitted before a deadline at the end of October, those eligible would be paid about $78 for each of their loans.