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Continental Airlines 777 at Narita International Airport, taken by Arthur Yu

Continental Airlines is an American airline. Based in Houston, Texas, it is the 5th largest airline in the U.S. and the 7th largest in the world.

Continental has hubs in George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, and General Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Tamuning, Guam. The last hub has operations of its subsidiary, Continental Micronesia

Continental once had a hub at Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado. Continental walked out of Stapleton due to high landing fees, and Stapleton was eventually replaced by Denver International Airport in 1995.

Continental has partner ownership of Expressjet, which is under the name Continental Express. They also use Skywest, Cape Air, Commutair, and Gulfstream International Airlines for their Continental Connection service.

Continental was formerly part of the Wings Alliance and has partnerships with Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines They code-share with Amtrak to some cities in the northeastern United States and with SNCF French Rail to stations in France. With close partners KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Northwest Airlines, Continental is due to join the SkyTeam Alliance.

Continental flies to various destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, Southwest Asia, and East Asia. Its affiliate airline, Continental Micronesia, covers cities in Guam, Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Table of contents

1 History

2 Destinations

2.1 Asia

2.1.1 East Asia
2.1.2 Southwest Asia

2.2 Europe
2.3 North America

2.3.1 United States, U.S. Territories, Canada, and Mexico
2.3.2 Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean, excluding US territories
2.3.3 Central America

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History

Continental Airlines began service in 1934 as Varney Speed Lines, named after its initial owner, Walter T. Varney, first operating out of El Paso International Airport.

Varney Speed Lines changed its name to Continental in 1937 after new owner Robert Six had taken over. Six moved the airline headquarters to Denver in October of that same year. He went on to preside over the airline for 40 years.

In the 1940s Continental's Denver headquarters became a conversion center where the airline took care of converting B-27s and B-29s for the United States military during World War II.

In 1953, Continental merged with Pioneer Airlines, gaining access to 16 more cities in Texas and New Mexico. In 1957 it flew for the first time from Chicago to Los Angeles.

1958 was the year Continental entered the jet age, using Boeing 707s for the first time.

In the 1960s many things that shaped Continental happened. 1962 saw the airline's first tragedy, with a bomb exploding inside a 707 causing the deaths of 45 people. In 1963 the company's headquarters moved to Los Angeles and in 1968 a new livery was launched, the orange and gold cheatlines adorned with a black global circle on the jet's tails.

During the 1960s the airline transported American soldiers to Vietnam too, and realizing there was a market in the Pacific Ocean, Continental set up an airline in Micronesia, Air Micronesia. This airline is nowadays known as Continental Micronesia and it uses Continental's livery on its jets.

1969 saw service to Honolulu begin, and in 1970, Continental's first Boeing 747 arrived. DC-10s were added to the fleet soon after, and the rest of the 1970s saw Continental's expansion keep on going, landing in Auckland and Sydney by 1977.

1978 saw the Airline Deregulation Act get passed by congress and this caused great problems for various established airlines, Continental among them. The next 10 years were problematic inside Continental's institution. In 1982, Continental merged with Texas International, (formerly Trans-Texas Air, which flew DC-3s as late as the 1960s), retaining the name Continental. Thus Continental forged a relationship with the controversial Frank Lorenzo for the first time. After this, Continental's central offices relocated to Houston, where they have remained so far.

In 1983 Continental filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code and quickly the airline's rebuilding process began.

By 1985 Continental started flying to Europe. Continental's first flights to that continent went from Newark and Houston to London.

1986 saw Continental's emergence from Chapter 11 and soon after, it became the third largest airline in the United States by acquiring Frontier Airlines and New York Air.

1987 saw the creation of the OnePass frequent flyer program, and in 1988 Continental made its first partnership ever, with the Scandinavian Airlines System.

Then came the 1990s. They started with Lorenzo leaving the airline to dedicate himself full time to Eastern Airlines, and also with the rise of the price of gas because of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the resulting Gulf War. As a consequence of the conflict and the rises, Continental had to file for bankruptcy again.

In 1991 Continental's current livery using White and Blue prominently on their jets was unveiled, and in 1993, Air Canada, along with Air Partners and Texas Pacific Group, aided Continental in coming out of chapter 11 once again by investing $450 million dollars in the airline. This year the airline ordered 737s, 757s, 767s and 777s to strengthen their fleet.

In 1994 Continental celebrated its 60th anniversary and in 1995 Greg Brenneman became new Chief Operating Officer.

1998 saw Continental launch flights for the first time ever into the Ireland and Scotland markets, and in October of 1999 the airline received its first Boeing 777 ever, allowing Continental to launch non stop flights from Newark and Houston to Narita, Japan.

That year also saw Continental become partners with Northwest Airlines and Copa and retire its last 747 from service. Continental had also become partners with Avant Airlines of Santiago, Chile and it was, along with America West, the first two USA airlines to launch the Interline E-Ticket system.

In 2001, Larry Kellner was named the company's President, and Continental began a partnership with TransBrazil.

In 2002, Continental announced its intentions to open a hub at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to compete with American Airlines there. Continental Connection later added its code to Cape Air's Caribbean Operations.

Gordon Bethune became president of the airline in 1994, after leaving Boeing, and orchestrated a turnaround of the company. He chronicled his experiences in the book From Worst to First. He became CEO in November 1994 and chairman in September 1996.

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Destinations

The list does not include cities only served by Continental Express, Continental Connection, and/or Continental Micronesia.

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Asia

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East Asia

China, People's Republic of
- Hong Kong (Hong Kong International Airport
Japan
- Tokyo (Narita International Airport)

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Southwest Asia

Israel
- Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion International Airport)

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Europe

Belgium
- Brussels (Brussels International Airport)
France
- Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport)
Germany
- Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt International Airport)
Ireland
- Dublin (Dublin Airport)
- Shannon (Shannon International Airport)
Italy
- Milan (Malpensa International Airport)
- Rome (Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport)
Netherlands
- Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport)
Norway
- Oslo (Oslo Airport)
Portugal
- Lisbon
Spain
- Madrid (Barajas International Airport)
Switzerland
- Geneva (Cointrin International Airport)
- Zurich (Zurich International Airport)
United Kingdom
- Birmingham, England (Birmingham International Airport)
- Edinburgh, Scotland (Edinburgh International Airport)
- Glasgow, Scotland (Glasgow International Airport)
- London, England (London Gatwick Airport)
- Manchester, England (Manchester International Airport)

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North America

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United States, U.S. Territories, Canada, and Mexico

Canada
- Alberta
  - Calgary/Banff (Calgary International Airport)
  - Edmonton (Edmonton International Airport)
- British Columbia
  - Vancouver (Vancouver International Airport
- Ontario
  - Toronto (Toronto Pearson International Airport)
- Quebec
  - Montreal (Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport)
Mexico
- Baja California Sur
  - San Jose del Cabo
- Federal District
  - Mexico City (Benito Juarez International Airport)
- Guanajuato
  - León
- Guerrero
  - Acapulco (Juan Álvarez International Airport)
  - Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo (SEASONAL)
- Jalisco
  - Guadalajara
  - Puerto Vallarta
- Nuevo Leon
  - Monterrey
- Quintana Roo
  - Cancun
  - Cozumel
- Yucatán
  - Mérida
United States
- Alabama
  - Birmingham (Birmingham International Airport)
- Alaska
  - Anchorage, Alaska (Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport)
- Arizona
  - Phoenix/Scottsdale (Sky Harbor International Airport)
  - Tucson (Tucson International Airport)
- California
  - Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport)
  - Oakland (Oakland International Airport)
  - Ontario (Ontario International Airport)
  - Sacramento (Sacramento International Airport)
  - San Diego (San Diego International Airport)
  - San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport)
  - San José (San José International Airport)
  - Santa Ana, Orange County (John Wayne Airport)
- Colorado
  - Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs Airport)
  - Denver (Denver International Airport)
  - Gunnison/Crested Butte (SEASONAL)
  - Hayden/Steamboat Springs (SEASONAL)
  - Montrose/Telluride (SEASONAL)
  - Vail (Eagle County Airport, SEASONAL)
- Connecticut
  - Hartford/Springfield, Massachusetts (Bradley International Airport)
- Florida
  - Fort Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport)
  - Fort Myers (Southwest Florida International Airport)
  - Jacksonville (Jacksonville International Airport)
  - Miami (Miami International Airport)
  - Orlando (Orlando International Airport)
  - Sarasota/Bradenton (Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport)
  - Tampa/Saint Petersburg/Clearwater (Tampa International Airport)
  - West Palm Beach (Palm Beach International Airport)
- Georgia
  - Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)
- Hawaii
  - Honolulu (Honolulu International Airport)
  - Kahului (Kahului Airport)
- Illinois
  - Chicago (O'Hare International Airport, and Midway Airport)
- Indiana
  - Indianapolis (Indianapolis International Airport)
- Louisiana
  - New Orleans (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport)
- Maryland
  - Baltimore (Baltimore/Washington International Airport)
- Massachusetts
  - Boston (Logan International Airport)
- Michigan
  - Detroit (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport)
- Minnesota
  - Minneapolis/Saint Paul (Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport)
- Mississippi
  - Gulfport/Biloxi (Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport)
- Missouri
  - Kansas City (Kansas City International Airport)
  - Saint Louis (Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport)
- Nebraska
  - Omaha
- Nevada
  - Las Vegas (McCarran International Airport)
  - Reno (Reno/Tahoe International Airport)
- New Jersey
  - Newark (Newark Liberty International Airport, Hub)
- New Mexico
  - Albuquerque (Albuquerque International Sunport)
- New York
  - Buffalo (Buffalo Niagara International Airport)
  - New York City (John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport)
- North Carolina
  - Raleigh/Durham (Raleigh-Durham International Airport)
- Ohio
  - Cleveland (Hopkins International Airport, Hub)
  - Columbus (Port Columbus International Airport)
- Oklahoma
  - Oklahoma City (Will Rogers World Airport
  - Tulsa (Tulsa International Airport)
- Oregon
  - Portland (Portland International Airport)
- Pennsylvania
  - Philadelphia (Philadelphia International Airport)
  - Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh International Airport)
- Puerto Rico
  - Aguadilla (Rafael Hernandez Airport)
  - San Juan (Luis Munoz Marin International Airport)
- Rhode Island
  - Providence (T. F. Green Airport)
- Tennessee
  - Memphis (Memphis International Airport)
  - Nashville (Nashville International Airport)
- Texas
  - Austin (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)
  - Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi International Airport)
  - Dallas/Fort Worth (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport)
  - El Paso (El Paso International Airport)
  - Houston (George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Hub and William P. Hobby Airport - Hobby service starts September 8, 2004)
  - McAllen (McAllen-Miller International Airport)
  - San Antonio (San Antonio International Airport)
- US Virgin Islands
  - Saint Thomas
- Utah
  - Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City International Airport)
- Virginia
  - Washington, DC Suburbs (Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport)
- Washington
  - Seattle/Tacoma (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)
- Wyoming
  - Jackson Hole (SEASONAL)

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Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean, excluding US territories

Antigua and Barbuda
- Antigua
Aruba
- Oranjestad
Bahamas
- Nassau
Barbados
- Bridgetown
Bermuda
- Bermuda (Bermuda International Airport)
Cayman Islands
- Grand Cayman (Owen Roberts International Airport)
Dominican Republic
- Puerto Plata
- Punta Cana
- Santiago
- Santo Domingo (Las Americas International Airport)
Jamaica
- Kingston (Norman Manley International Airport)
- Montego Bay (Sangster International Airport)
Netherlands Antilles
- Sint Maarten
Trinidad and Tobago
- Port of Spain