Business in brief: Spokane Airport saw drop in August traffic
Boardings at Spokane International Airport fell 12.3 percent in August compared with the same month last year, extending a trend triggered more than a year ago by the economic downturn and high fuel prices.
The airport reported 147,241 passenger boardings, down from 167,866 in August 2008. Through Aug. 30, two million passengers have boarded in 2008, off 14.6 percent from 2.4 million in 2008.
Freight activity has also decreased, falling 14.8 percent August-to-August to 4,320 tons. Tonnage for the first eight months of 2009 decreased 15.3 percent to 35,591 tons.
At Felts Field, the 7,415 aviation operations were a 1.4 percent decrease from August 2008, but the pace for the year through August remains 1.8 percent ahead of 2008 with 45,790 operations.
Bert Caldwell
Free workshop covers reseller business tax
The Washington State Department of Revenue is holding a free tax workshop for contractors in the Spokane area Tuesday at the Ponderosa Conference Room of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, 810 N. Stone St.
The workshop, from 10 a.m. to noon, highlights new legislation that replaces the resale certificate with a reseller’s permit beginning Jan. 1, 2010.
Businesses must apply to the revenue department for a reseller’s permit that will allow them to purchase materials wholesale. Special rules apply to contractors.
For information or to register, call (800) 647-7706, or register online at http://dor.wa.gov.
Northrop wins bid to service KC-10s
Washington – Northrop Grumman Corp. beat out rival Boeing Co. for a $3.8 billion deal to provide logistics services for the KC-10, a fleet of aerial refueling tankers, the Pentagon said late Thursday.
Chicago-based Boeing builds the KC-10 and currently holds the current service contract for the plane, which is set to expire in January. It has been providing 24-hour service, seven days a week on the aircraft since 1998.
Post, Bloomberg forming news service
Washington – The Washington Post and Bloomberg News are teaming up in a new partnership that will distribute their political and financial coverage to a broader audience.
The venture announced Thursday includes a news service that fills the void created by the dissolution of a 47-year alliance between the Post and the Los Angeles Times. The newspapers disclosed their plans to divorce on Wednesday.
Besides distributing about 120 stories per day beginning Jan. 1 to other news organizations, the Post and Bloomberg will share content with each other and co-produce an online business news page on the Post’s Web site.