HOUSTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced that it will introduce daily nonstop service between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, on Dec. 17, subject to government approval.
Ciudad del Carmen will be the 23rd destination in Mexico served by Continental and will start on the same day as Continental's previously announced service from Houston to Manzanillo, Mexico. Continental currently offers service to 21 Mexican destinations more than any other U.S. airline ? with approximately 300 departures each week.
Continental Express will operate Embraer's 50-passenger ERJ-145 ExpressJet on the nonstop service to Ciudad del Carmen, located 130 miles from Campeche City in the Mexican state of Campeche off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula.
The new nonstop Continental Express flight will depart from Houston Intercontinental Airport at 9:20 a.m., arriving in Ciudad del Carmen at 12:22 p.m. The return flight will depart Ciudad del Carmen at 2:45 p.m., arriving in Houston at 5:33 p.m.
"We are pleased to be able to continue our commitment to increasing travel options to Mexico for business travelers, oil industry workers and tourists," said a Continental spokesperson.
Ciudad del Carmen is known as La Perla del Golfo (Pearl of the Gulf). A hub for Mexico's oil industry, Ciudad del Carmen is a departure point for helicopters bound for offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf. The area also is known for its fishing and beaches.
Continental Airlines is the world's seventh-largest airline with 2,300 daily departures to 134 domestic and 92 international destinations. Continental has the broadest global route network of any U.S. airline, including extensive service throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and carries approximately 41 million passengers per year on the newest jet fleet among major U.S. airlines. With 42,000 employees, Continental is one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America. In 2003, Fortune ranked Continental highest among major U.S. carriers in the quality of its service and products, and No. 2 on its list of Most Admired Global Airlines.
SOURCE Continental Airlines
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