SOURCE: Honolulu Star-Bulletin http://starbulletin.com/2002/06/04/business/story3.html Hawaii=92s airports earn award The International Air Transport Association commends state for aid after=20= Sept. 11 Associated Press Hawaii's state-run airport system received special recognition from the=20= International Air Transport Association for the service it provided to=20= airlines and for quickly waiving landing fees in the wake of the Sept.=20= 11 terrorist attacks. IATA, holding its annual general meeting in Shanghai on Sunday, named=20 Hawaii as one of four recipients of its 5th annual IATA Eagle Awards. "It is a very special honor to be the only airport in the United States=20= recognized by this industry organization," Gov. Ben Cayetano said=20 yesterday. "As a state reliant upon air travel, we were the first state=20= to take steps last fall to ensure that the airlines would continue to be=20= able to provide service to and from and within our islands." IATA selection panel chairman Ron Allen noted Hawaii was the first=20 airport system after the Sept. 11 attacks to waive landing fees and=20 system support charges. That was to help airlines hurt financially after the nationwide shutdown=20= of air traffic, subsequent fall off of air travel and costly new=20 security requirements. "It was very gratifying that at a time of extreme financial difficulty=20= for the airline industry, certain service providers were able to take a=20= longer term view," said Pierre Jeanniot, IATA's director general. Other systems getting the Eagle Awards were Singapore, Hong Kong and=20 Cyprus. A week after the attacks, Cayetano suspended the landing fees, which=20 were reinstated April 1, saving the airlines $15.8 million. He also=20 ordered reduced rental charges to airport concessionaires hurt by the=20 downturn in air travel, costing the state $21.1 million in revenues. Cayetano also waived landing fees for two years starting in September=20 1997 in response to a poor economy, saving the airlines more than $80=20 million. -- David Mueller / HNL kawika42@mac.com http://www.quanterium.com