News Release
Continental Airlines Takes Delivery of its First Boeing 777; Becomes the Second U.S. Carrier to Bring the 777 Into Its Fleet
HOUSTON, October 1, 1998 -- On Friday, Oct. 2, Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAI.B and CAI.A) will take delivery of its first Boeing 777-200 aircraft, becoming only the second U.S. airline to operate the new "Queen of the Skies." Continental is acquiring 14 of the world's largest twin-engine aircraft, five of which will be delivered this year and used on new routes to Tokyo, Japan.
Continental will launch daily non-stop service on Nov. 30 between Newark and Tokyo, followed by daily non-stop service between Houston and Tokyo beginning Jan. 31, 1999. It will be the first U.S. carrier to fly the luxury jetliner across the Pacific.
"We are thrilled to be taking the controls of the new 'Queen of the Skies'," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines Gordon Bethune. "We believe this new state-of-the art aircraft has set a new standard for air travel, and we're proud to offer this new service to our customers."
Before launching its transpacific routes, Continental's first new 777 will be used on a preliminary range of domestic routes between Houston, Newark and Los Angeles.
As the other nine aircraft are delivered next year, they will be used on transatlantic routes to Europe, replacing DC-10 aircraft.
Continental's new 777s will carry 283 passengers. The two-class configuration is comprised of 48 BusinessFirst and 235 coach seats.
BusinessFirst amenities aboard the 777 will include extra-wide electronic sleeper seats, flexible-neck reading lights, laptop computer power outlets at the seat, personal entertainment systems and an espresso/cappuccino machine. The coach class cabin features individual seatback video systems with six video channels, six video games in color and 13 channels of audio programming and adjustable 'winged' headrests. Continental is the only airline offering individual video systems between the New York area and Tokyo.
With the acquisition of the 14 new Boeing 777s, Continental will possess the youngest jet fleet in the industry at just 7.2 years by the end of 1999.
Continental is the fifth largest airline in the U.S., offering more than 2,000 departures daily to 125 domestic and 67 international destinations. Operating major hubs in Newark, Houston and Cleveland, Continental (http://www.flycontinental.com) is strategically positioned for TransContinental travel, and offers extensive service to Latin America and Europe via its Houston and Newark gateways.