Boeing and the Middle Eastern emirate of Qatar announced today that Qatar has signed an agreement to buy C-17 military transports.

Neither Boeing nor Qatar said just how many of the four-engine, high-wing airlifters Qatar will buy.

Boeing spokesman Jerry Drelling said Boeing was not releasing the number because the company was leaving it to Qatar to announce a specific figure if it chose to do so.

Reports in international media say the contract is for two C-17s with the prospect for an additional two.

The Qatar order will help Boeing keep open its sole remaining California aircraft production line in Long Beach.

The company is delivering its 175th C-17 to the U.S. Air Force at the end of this week. Fifteen more C-17s remain to be built under an existing contract with the Air Force. President Bush earlier this summer signed a bill to acquire another 15 of the aircraft. Details of that contract are still being worked out.

When that contract is signed, the Air Force will be committed to acquire a total of 205 C-17s. Congress is pondering yet another bill to buy 15 more of the airlifters.

Boeing has already delivered 14 of the planes to foreign governments including six to Great Britain, four to Canada and four to Australia.

Qatar would use the C-17s to deliver humanitarian aid to countries around the world.

Sea-Tac Airport will lose 94 weekly flights beginning this fall as airlines prune their schedules of unprofitable flights.

That figure comes from data from flight scheduling company Innovata.

Sea-Tac's lose is relatively small compared with loses at some airports.

At Los Angeles International, for instance, the airport will lose some 1,900 weekly landings and takeoffs.

Prince Rupert, B.C., which built a new containership terminal with the promise to container transport companies of a quick and uncrowded path to the Midwest, has attracted a second weekly containership call.

The new ship is operated by an alliance of steamship companies including COSCO, K-Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin.

COSCO previously had launched weekly service from Prince Rupert to China and Japan.

Canadian National Railroad links Prince Rupert's Fairview container terminal with the American Midwest and East.

Prince Rupert's successes could diminish the number of containers handled through Pacific Northwest ports including Tacoma and Seattle.

If you’re looking for a way to attend a funeral without attending a funeral, then Tacoma’s Gaffney Funeral Home may have the answer.

Live and via archive, Gaffney has recently begun offering a webcasting service wherein memorial services are recorded and broadcast, and saved, electronically.

So now, out-of-town loved ones need not travel to attend the final rites. Shut-ins can finally participate. A wider circle – a wider world – of friends and associates can share in the grief and celebration of someone’s passing.

“It is our goal to help everyone come together to celebrate the life of their loved one, and find comfort,” the business said in a release late last week.

“Many people haven’t heard about webcasting,” said Corey Gaffney. “A webcast is simply a broadcast of the service, distributed over the Internet using streaming technology. It can be viewed live or recorded, and viewed when friends and family wish to – sometimes over and over again. The broadcast is password protected, so the service is as private as it originally was.”

A new study commissioned by the Everett City Council says limited air service to Paine Field could help Snohomish County economic development.

The study said that up to five daily flights would have only a relatively minimal effect on noise while providing more convenient air service to cities such as Spokane, Boise, Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco for Snohomish County business people and leisure travelers.

A big fight is brewing there over the prospect of regular airline flights. The city of Everett, which doesn't own the airfield, appears to be getting in the corner of the advocates, which Snohomish County, which does own the former Air Force base, is opposing the service.

Allegiant Airlines earlier this year proposed starting service from Paine Field to Las Vegas.

Neighbors of the airfield are generally opposed to even limited service because they fear it will disrupt their lives and lead to more flights. The Everett Chamber of Commerce wants service to the airport.

The field is home to the world's largest aircraft plant, Boeing's Everett wide-body factory. A major airline overhaul firm is also based on the field.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently reminded Snohomish County that it can't flatly deny airlines an opportunity to serve the field under law.

High gas prices raising you blood pressure? It might help if you checked your tire pressure. One South Sound firm is offering to help – for free.

In the same way that other tire-related businesses may offer to check a customer’s tires for inflation, now Tacoma’s Courtesy Tire Service is offering the service to anyone who asks.

Courtesy is located at 4502 S. Steele St., at the Tacoma Mall, and a press release says having the correct pressure can “combat the high cost of gas. ... Recent reports from the U.S. Department of Energy have indicated that many drivers can improve their gas mileage by around 3.3 percent simply by keeping their tires inflated to the proper pressure. Many motorists can actually save $2.00 or more per fill-up.”

If necessary, technicians will fill your tires to vehicle manufacturer-recommended levels at no charge.

Are there any other businesses out there helping drivers beat the high price of gas? If you know of one, please leave a comment. Thanks.

This Tale of the Wayward Circus is told by the Better Business Bureau.

Seems there’s a circus of sorts traveling though Eastern Washington. The Colville Chamber of Commerce issued a warning early last week after the organization attempted a last-minute setup at the Stevens County Fairgrounds.

The circus lists its address s as a drop box in Las Vegas at 4080 Paradise Road #15-555, and the agent’s name is listed ("C.K." and/or "J.K.").

The BBB did some additional research based on a report from the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds, which ultimately chose not to do business with the circus, and turned it away from the fairground properties. After that incident, according to the BBB, the group headed to Othello wanting to do business with the fairgrounds there. The Othello Fairgrounds, based on the past questionable dealings, as well as their own doubts, also chose not to do business with them.

Why? The agent for the group calls organizers (or the group just shows up) at the last minute wanting to arrange dates, sometimes pitching that they have a "Say No to Drugs Circus" they want to bring to town.

=> Read more!

Airport shuttle operator Shuttle Express has entered the now-fierce competition for travelers between Seattle and Portland.

Shuttle Express comes to the game with leather-seated six-passenger vans running six times daily on weekdays between the two Northwest cities.

As an introductory offer, the van service is offering $39 one-way fares on two schedules a day at 5 a.m. and at 10 a.m. With the mandatory 15 percent gratuity that amounts to $89.70 roundtrip. Other fares are as high as $158.70 for other times of day.

The van makes the trip in roughly three hours depending on the traffic. It features a worktable and wireless Internet.

Four dollar-plus gas has attracted both Shuttle Express and another new entrant into the Seattle-Portland transport business. That's Portland's SeaPort Airlines, which is operating flights between Boeing Field and Portland International Airport with 9-passenger turboprop planes.

The traditional players are still in the market and matching prices. Amtrak has five trains each way daily with fares as low as $56 roundtrip. Horizon Air offers two dozen flights from Sea-Tac as low as $159.00 return.

And Greyhound is the price leader with a restricted $49.00 fare.

Here's a chart that compares the options. I made some assumptions in drawing up the chart. You could do better on time and price if your circumstances are different.

You could, for instance, be driving a car that gets better than the 20 mpg I assumed, or you could waltz through the train station or airport with less waiting time than I included. (Horizon offers its Portland shuttle passengers a shortcut through the security line and planeside luggage checking.)