AIRLINES

New nonstop flights: Oakland to Mexico

Oakland International Airport is now offering new nonstop service to Mexico, with Cal Jet Air launching twice-weekly flights to Mazatlan.

The flights leave the East Bay at 8:15 p.m. Mondays and Fridays and arrive in Mexico at 12:15 a.m. the next day. Return flights depart Mazatlan at 4:45 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, landing in Oakland at 7 p.m.

Cal Jet Air flights are public charters operated by XTRA Airways. Boeing 737-400s -- with 150 seats, 12 of them first-class -- are being used on this route.

The introductory fare is $219 roundtrip at www.caljetair.com.

-- Linda Zavoral, staff

EVA adds lie-flat seats to its business class

Taiwanese airline EVA Air, one of Silicon Valley's popular cross-Pacific commuter services, has upgraded its business-class cabin to include lie-flat seats.

The $100 million facelift for Royal Laurel Class on the airline's Boeing 777-300ER fleet comes as EVA prepares to join the Star Alliance, which is expected to occur later this year. Alliance members share mileage programs and other services.

EVA's new 38-seat business class cabin is configured in a way that allows passengers near windows to gaze outside without turning their heads. Each seat also comes with panels that allow

The new upgrade began on EVA's daily San Francisco-to-Taipei route. All planes will have the new business class by March.

-- John Boudreau, staff

AIRPORTS

Officials consider plan to rename SFO for Milk

A San Francisco supervisor has proposed asking voters to rename the city's airport after slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk.

If approved by five other members of the Board of Supervisors, the charter amendment sponsored by Supervisor David Campos would put the question of creating Harvey Milk-San Francisco International Airport on the city's November ballot.

Voter approval would make San Francisco home to the world's first airport honoring an openly gay person, said Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk.

Milk, who runs an international gay rights foundation in his uncle's memory, said that adding an airport to the list of public venues named for Harvey Milk would mark a milestone, since flights to and from SFO serve 68 countries where homosexuality is illegal.

-- Associated Press

Berlin airport CEO fired after delays to opening

Rainier Schwarz, the chief executive of Berlin's airports, was fired following a decision to delay yet again the opening of the German capital's new hub, a fiasco that has embarrassed local officials.

This is the fourth delay, the third in less than a year. Planners and builders are struggling with technical problems, above all a fire safety system.

Airport planning chief Horst Amann said the airport may not even be ready next year -- "perhaps rather 2015," he told ZDF television.

-- Associated Press

UNITED STATES

Kaanapali hotel marks its 50th anniversary

The first official hotel to be built at Kaanapali is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

The Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa plans to launch a year of celebrations with an anniversary luau Friday.

The hotel opened as the Sheraton Maui Hotel in January 1963 with a special introductory rate of $15. The first commercial flight ever to arrive on Maui from the U.S. mainland brought comedian Bob Hope, singer Bing Crosby and other celebrities for the party.

-- Associated Press