Briefcase

Airlines continue to take large financial losses

United Airlines parent UAL Corp. reported a $510 million first-quarter loss Friday, its second-biggest setback ever, as it continues to struggle to lure back travelers.

The loss was the seventh in a row for the nation’s second-biggest airline, exceeded only by the $1.16 billion loss in last year’s third quarter, when the terrorist attacks threw the industry into crisis. Two of the jetliners hijacked Sept. 11 were United flights, such as the one above taking off from Denver.

The first-quarter loss was exceeded only by the $575 million lost by AMR Corp., the parent of industry leader American Airlines. All major U.S. airlines but Southwest finished in the red for the quarter.

Manufacturing: Cessna to cut Wichita jobs

Cessna Aircraft said it expected to reduce its Wichita work force by 1,000 jobs through attrition in the next year or so as the company adjusted to demand declines.

Lewis Campbell, chief executive officer for Textron, Cessna’s parent company, said Thursday in a conference call to analysts that Cessna will lay off some workers in Wichita.

But Cessna chief executive Gary Hay said in a separate interview that he thought the plane maker would complete the reductions through attrition and that it had no plans to lay off workers.

Cessna is the only aircraft manufacturer in Wichita in the past year that has not laid off workers, although it has laid off about 400 people in its single-engine plant in Independence, Kan.

Fraud: Bureau warns of scheme

The Better Business Bureau of Northeast Kansas is warning consumers about a work-at-home program being offered by Electronic Medical Billing Inc.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed in Washington, D.C, federal district court a complaint against the company, alleging that it misrepresents its ability to find work for people who buy the company’s program. The Mission Viejo, Calif., company also is accused of improperly telling consumers they can make $25,000 to $50,000 a year by buying the $325 work-at-home kit.

Volunteers: Program to meet businesses

Lawrence-based Headquarters Counseling Center is asking area businesses to meet with volunteers from the organization next week.

In a program called “Sponsor a HQ Volunteer,” the center, which provides 24-hour counseling services to area residents in need, is asking businesses to take a volunteer to lunch on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The program coincides with National Volunteer Recognition Week, April 21-27, and is an effort to increase the business community’s awareness of the center.

Interested businesses should call Wendy Leedy at 841-2345.

Travel: Carnival to pay dumping fine

Carnival Corp., the world’s biggest cruise line, pleaded guilty to dumping oily waste from five of its ships and will pay $18 million in fines.

In a plea agreement signed Tuesday, the cruise ship operator admitted that the Sensation, Ecstasy, Fantasy, Imagination and Paradise cruise ships discharged the waste from bilge tanks from 1998 to 2001.

The company also admitted employees made false entries about the discharges in record books.

Carnival agreed to five years of court supervision and also pledged to hire new managers and others as part of an environmental compliance program.