Continental Airlines Applies to Fly Nonstop Between New York/Newark and Shanghai, China in Spring 2009

eTN

Also proposes through flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai

Continental Airlines today submitted its application to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide the first nonstop U.S. carrier service between the financial and commercial centers of the U.S. and China, New York/Newark and Shanghai. Continental will also provide through flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai.

Continental seeks the route award as part of a new landmark aviation agreement officially signed July 9, 2007, which provides extensive additional air service opportunities between the U.S. and China over the next six years.

"Continental again congratulates the DOT on securing the multiple rights for additional competitive U.S. airline service to China which Continental intends to utilize in 2009, by offering daily nonstop service in the most significant U.S.-China market that lacks daily nonstop U.S. carrier service," said Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner.

The proposed route from Continental's New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport will provide additional customer choices for air service to Shanghai from the New York/New Jersey region and the entire northeastern region of the U.S. The new route will serve the large Asian and Chinese American population residing in the New York City/Newark area and the largest population base in the U.S. in which passengers have been forced to use connecting flights or less-than-daily foreign carrier service for their travel needs between the U.S. financial capital and the rapidly expanding Chinese financial capital of Shanghai. Continental's New York/Newark-Shanghai service, with through-flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai, will also provide convenient connecting service to destinations through its New York hub at Newark Liberty.

"Continental is pleased to continue working with the federal, state and locally elected officials from our Cleveland and northern Ohio hub market to bring additional international air service opportunities to the region," said Kellner. "Businesses in northern Ohio, just like those in New York and New Jersey that compete in today's global marketplace, stand to gain from the benefits that international air service provides," Kellner added.

Ohio is home to 60 Fortune 1000 companies and the Cleveland area is home to vital Fortune 100 companies including Goodyear Tire and Rubber, International Steel Group and Sherwin Williams.

Continental plans to operate the nonstop flight daily with a Boeing 777 aircraft with 285 seats on the following tentative schedule:

Flight Number: Departs: Arrives:
CO 87 New York/Newark: 11:50 am Shanghai: 2:05 pm next day
CO 86 Shanghai: 4:05 pm New York/Newark: 6:30 pm

Continental's Cleveland-New York/Newark-Shanghai market is well supported among the airline's communities, business partners and employees. Continental thanks its many early supporters including:

Newark Regional Business Partnership
The entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation
10 Ohio Congressional Members
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher
Texas Governor Rick Perry
Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson
President of the New Jersey Senate Richard Codey
Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly Joseph Roberts
New Jersey Legislative Leadership
President of the Ohio Senate Bill Harris
Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Jon Husted
Ohio Legislative Leadership
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Tom Craddick
Cleveland Council President Martin Sweeney
Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Kelley
Cleveland City Council Aviation Committee
New Jersey Alliance for Action
New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce
New Jersey Business & Industry Association
Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey
Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey
Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Greater Cleveland Partnership

Continental has also sent to the DOT over 13,000 employee letters supporting Continental's request for Shanghai service.

Printable Version | published Jul 16, 2007

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