TRAVEL

JFK IS BUSIEST AIRPORT IN THE NATION

More than 25% of a record 27.4 million American citizens who traveled abroad last year used the city’s three major airports, according to the Port Authority and statistics released this month by the U.S. Department of Commerce. John F. Kennedy International was the busiest airport in the nation with more than 4.7 million, or 17%, of all American travelers passing through its terminals. Newark airport ranked fifth on the list of busiest airports, with more than 1.9 million outbound overseas travelers, or 7.1% of the country’s total. LaGuardia ranked 27th with more than 75,000 outbound, overseas travelers, or 0.3% of the American total.

– Special to the Sun

FRANCE, BELGIUM ISSUE AIRLINE BLACKLISTS

PARIS – France and Belgium have issued blacklists of airlines prohibited from using their airports, in an attempt to allay public fears about flying after a recent series of deadly crashes.

France’s list of banned airlines is: Air Koryo of North Korea; Air St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands; International Air Services of Liberia; Thailand’s Phuket Airlines, and Linhas Aereas de Mocambique and Transairways, both from Mozambique.

Belgium’s list released yesterday includes nine airlines from Egypt, Armenia, Congo, Libya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Ukraine, and the Central African Republic. Swiss civil aviation officials said they planned to release a similar list Thursday.

– Associated Press

INSURANCE

ESTIMATED INSURANCE COST OF KATRINA IS CUT

Hurricane Katrina’s estimated cost for insurers such as Allstate was cut to $9 billion to $16 billion by storm modeler Eqecat after the storm veered away from New Orleans.

Katrina is on track to be the second most expensive hurricane to hit the industry after Andrew caused $20.8 billion, adjusted for inflation, of insured losses in 1992. Earlier, Eqecat forecast claims as high as $30 billion. The storm came ashore yesterday just south of Buras, La., with winds of 140 mph after weakening overnight, the National Hurricane Center said. Risk Management Solutions, another modeler, predicted $10 billion to $25 billion. AIR Worldwide estimated $12 billion to $26 billion.

– Bloomberg News

IN BRIEF

Merck’s request to delay the second trial over the painkiller Vioxx was rejected by a New Jersey judge, who said publicity from a Texas verdict won’t prevent a fair hearing for the drugmaker … Some of America’s biggest companies are withholding contributions to a public campaign supporting President Bush’s immigration plan because they’re concerned that any legislation may impose greater restrictions on hiring workers from overseas … American and Chinese officials will hold trade talks on textiles and clothing this week in Beijing, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said … General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler employees represented by the Canadian Auto Workers voted to allow a strike in the event a contract isn’t reached by September 20 in talks that may set the tone for negotiations in America in 2007 … Old Mutual, South Africa’s biggest insurer, may offer $5.64 billion for Skandia AB to enter Scandinavia and bolster British sales with Europe’s largest insurance takeover in five years … Eastman Kodak, the world’s largest photography company, is retaking the photo kiosk business at Walgreen from Fuji Photo Film, making it the choice of the three biggest American retailers of prints … Verizon cut the price of its fast wireless Internet access by 25% as it expanded the service to seven new markets, including San Francisco.

– Bloomberg News and Associated Press