News Release
Continental Airlines Launches New Non-Stop Service Between New York/Newark and Tel Aviv, Israel
NEWARK, N.J., July 30, 1999 -- Continental Airlines, (NYSE: CAL and CAL.A) on Sunday, August 1, will launch daily non-stop service between New York/Newark and Tel Aviv, Israel. This will be the airline's 17th transatlantic destination from New York/Newark.
Flights to Tel Aviv will depart Newark International Airport at 5:40 p.m. and arrive in Tel Aviv at 11:05 a.m. Return Flights to Newark will depart Tel Aviv at 1:25 p.m. and arrive in Newark at 6:20 p.m. The flight time is approximately 10 hours eastbound and 12 hours westbound.
"This is our first route to the Middle East and it marks a major step in the further development of our hub at Newark International Airport," said Barry Simon, Continental's senior vice president, International. "We are eager to serve the strong base of business travelers as well as the enormous numbers of ethnic, religious and leisure passengers who fly from the U.S. to Israel."
The airline will operate the Boeing 777, the new "Queen of the Skies," on the Tel Aviv route. The 777 sets a new standard for transatlantic travel, as the most spacious and quietest big jet in the world. The aircraft carries 283 passengers-48 in BusinessFirst and 235 in coach. The award-winning BusinessFirst cabin features extra-wide electronic sleeper seats with laptop computer outlets, telephones and personal entertainment systems. The personal entertainment systems are also provided in coach.
Continental is the only airline with a hub in the New York City metropolitan area. The new Tel Aviv service will connect with an extensive network of routes throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Passengers utilizing the new service will arrive at a state-of-the-art Customs and Immigration Hall in Terminal B, which handles over 3 million passengers annually.
Continental Airlines is the fifth largest airline in the U.S., offering more than 2,200 departures daily to 130 domestic and 85 international destinations. Operating major hubs in Newark, Houston and Cleveland, Continental (http://www.continental.com) has extensive service throughout the Americas, and to Europe and Asia. Continental recently initiated a strategic global alliance with Northwest Airlines. Continental is in the top half of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America," and has won first or second place Frequent Flyer Magazine and J.D. Power awards for four consecutive years. Continental has received numerous awards for its BusinessFirst premium cabin (Condé Nast Traveler, OAG Official Airline Guides, Entrepreneur and Smart Money magazines), OnePass frequent flyer program (InsideFlyer's Freddie Awards) and overall operations and management (Air Transport World's 1997 Airline of the Year).