DIA busier but falls a spot in listing of world airports
Denver International Airport fell to the No. 11 spot in a ranking of the world’s busiest airports in 2005, from No. 10 in 2004.
According to a new ranking by Airports Council International, the busiest airport in the world in 2005 was Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. Las Vegas passed Denver to become the ninth-busiest, up from No. 11 in 2004. Denver’s traffic grew in 2005, but Las Vegas’ grew more. This year, increased competition among Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines is pushing DIA’s traffic to record levels.
In a separate report Tuesday, airline employment fell 5.4 percent in March from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. United Airlines’ count of full-time-equivalent employees fell to about 53,000 from 56,000 a year earlier. Frontier Airlines’ full-time-equivalent employee level remained steady at about 4,000.
And the customer-satisfaction index for the airline industry dropped to 65 in the first quarter, down 1.5 percent from a year ago as consumers feel they are getting less for their money. Southwest Airlines was at the top of the airline list at 74, while United had a rating of 63, up 3.3 percent. Frontier Airlines was not included in the listing of seven major carriers.
Busiest airports
World airports ranked by 2005 passenger traffic:
GREENWOOD VILLAGE
American Screen Works theater coming
Greenwood Village-based Alberta Development Partners LLC and the Restaurant Entertainment Group on Tuesday said they have partnered to bring an American Screen Works theater to the Northlands retail development at Interstate 25 and Colorado 7 in Broomfield.
American Screen Works will include a 14-screen theater and an outdoor amphitheater.
The theater, which will include stadium seating, side tables for every two seats and upgraded concession offerings, will be the first for American Screen Works west of the Mississippi, said Alberta principal Don Provost.
DENVER
Court allows Quiznos lawsuit to continue
A New Jersey judge has denied a request by Denver-based Quiznos that the court dismiss a lawsuit filed by a franchisee there.
The plaintiffs, Inna Bogdanova, Yelena Vekshina and Annaden Inc., allege that the company sold them a failing store. The lawsuit alleges consumer fraud, fraudulent inducement and failure to act in good faith.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Lockheed completes space software
Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday it has successfully completed development of the Highly Elliptical Orbit Interim Operations software for the Space Based Infrared System.
The system is designed to provide early warning of missile launches and support other missions simultaneously, including missile defense, intelligence and battle-space information.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Westmoreland Coal to restate figures
Westmoreland Coal Co. reported Tuesday it will restate its financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31 to correct an error in the computation of its tax provision.
The determination to restate and conduct the review of the accounting for income taxes was approved by the company’s board of directors after a recommendation from management.
CINCINNATI
Scripps pulls plug on Shop At Home
Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps Co., the media conglomerate whose operations include the Rocky Mountain News, announced Tuesday it will close its money-losing home shopping network, Shop At Home, by June 30.
The company also plans to shutter the network’s online retail subsidiary, citing the network’s ongoing losses and the absence of a suitable buyer.
Shop At Home, based in Nashville, Tenn., is the nation’s fourth-largest home shopping network. It competes with QVC, a division of Douglas County- based Liberty Media Corp.
DENVER
Grants aim to spur heritage tourism
The Colorado Tourism Office announced Tuesday it has awarded four pilot-project grants to entities in southeastern Colorado, Park County, the San Luis Valley and southwestern Colorado.
Each recipient will receive about $55,000 to spend on the development and promotion of heritage-tourism initiatives.
SALT LAKE CITY
Utah resorts set skier-visit record
Utah’s ski resorts posted their third consecutive year of record-breaking skier visits, Ski Utah announced Tuesday.
Utah’s 13 ski resorts saw 4.05 million skiers and snowboarders during the 2005-06 season, up 3.8 percent over the previous season.
Colorado Ski Country USA is expected to release skier-visit data for Colorado next month.
PALO ALTO, Calif.
HP has stellar second quarter
Hewlett-Packard Co.’s fiscal second-quarter profit rose 51 percent as the printer and computer company benefited from cost- cutting, gains in PC market share and higher revenue.
For the three months ended April 30, HP earned $1.46 billion, or 51 cents a share, compared with $966 million, or 33 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. Sales rose 5 percent to $22.6 billion from $21.6 billion in the second quarter of last year.
NEW YORK
SEC, Spitzer vow to cooperate
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox and New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, aiming to ease years of tension between their agencies, pledged to cooperate in enforcement cases.
New York’s top law-enforcement official and the SEC in recent years clashed about where federal power ends and state authority begins.
PEORIA, Ill.
Caterpillar to acquire Progress Rail Services
Caterpillar Inc., expanding its manufacturing reach, said Tuesday it would acquire privately held railroad-industry supplier Progress Rail Services Corp. in a $1 billion cash-and-stock deal.
Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar said the purchase will expand its services portfolio.
