1001 Airport Rd. – Ste. 14  ::  Chattanooga, TN  37421   ::  Tel. (423) 855-2234

 

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Oct 1, 2005—Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today inaugurated daily nonstop service between Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and the airline’s Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).  The City of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority and Continental Airlines made the announcement during a public ceremony in May.

“Continental Airlines is excited to finally be offering service in a market that, historically, has been lacking in service to the western United States and Mexico,” said Karen Zachary, Continental’s managing director-strategic planning.  “Travelers in the Chattanooga area now have the convenience to travel to several major cities in the U.S., Latin America and Europe from Continental’s Houston hub.”

The Chattanooga to Houston service will offer service to 45 of the top 50 destinations desired by travelers from the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Phoenix and San Francisco.  Houston is the gateway to several international destinations to Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and Asia.

“We are thrilled to welcome Continental Airlines to Chattanooga and are grateful for the direct service to Houston that is now available to our city,” said Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield. “I encourage all of our citizens to take advantage of this great new flight which literally connects Chattanooga to the world.”

Chattanooga travelers returning from international travel destinations will find their arrival in Houston eased by a new customs and immigration facility at Bush Intercontinental Airport opened in January.  Located next to Continental Airlines’ new terminal E, Houston’s airport is able to process international travelers more quickly than competing airports.

The Chattanooga to Houston schedule during the week will be as follows: 

Chattanooga-Houston			Houston-Chattanooga
Departure	Arrival		Departure	Arrival
7:10 a.m.	8:25 a.m.		3:30 p.m.	6:35 p.m.
7:05 p.m.	8:20 p.m.		6:55 p.m.	10:00 p.m.

Chattanooga travelers will fly on ExpressJet, Inc., which operates as Continental Express, the regional provider for Continental Airlines.  ExpressJet passengers will receive efficient service and comfortable leather seating, along with advance seat assignments and OnePass frequent flyer miles that can be redeemed on Continental and partner airlines.  Chattanooga travelers will fly on an Embraer Regional Jet with a seating capacity of 37 to 50 seats.  These jets come with individual reading lamps, individual air conditioning outlets, full-size lavatory, storage for carry-on luggage and a wardrobe closet.

Continental Airlines is the world’s sixth-largest airline.  Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 150 domestic and 131 international destinations, more than any other carrier in the world. Nearly 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines, which include Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines.  With 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 56 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.

For the second consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline on its 2005 list of Most Admired Global Companies. Continental was also included in the publication’s annual “Top 50” list, which ranks all companies, across a wide variety of industries, that appear in the Global Most Admired Companies issue. Continental again won major awards at the 2005 OAG Airline of the Year Awards including “Airline of the Year” and “Best Airline Based in North America” for the second consecutive year, and “Best Executive/Business Class” for the third consecutive year. For more company information, visit Continental.com.