October 19, 2006
Continental Airlines said third-quarter profit surged, boosted by the sale of a stake in Copa Airlines and higher fares.

Net profit in the third quarter rose to USD$237 million, from USD$61 million in the same period a year ago.

Net profit was boosted by a USD$92 million gain from the sale of a stake in Copa Airlines.

Excluding that and other special items, Continental posted earnings of USD$146 million.

The Houston-based airline has been one of the few traditional carriers to add capacity over the past year, while rivals such as US Airways and Delta Air Lines reduced fleets. With fewer seats available for sale industry-wide and demand robust, Continental's planes filled up even as fares rose.

Continental said operating revenue rose 17 percent to USD$3.52 billion from USD$3 billion as the carrier added 9.1 percent more seats and increased revenue per seat by 7.4 percent.

The airline industry is in the midst of a recovery after a six-year slump that was punctuated by the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington. Aggressive cost cutting and higher fares have offset rising oil prices for Continental and other major carriers.

Continental's shares have outperformed the sector recently, rising 14 percent over the last six months, while the Amex airline index increased 3 percent.

(Reuters)

Thanks for the post weasil, very interesting.

Sure. I am glad to see the profits being posted by the legacy carriers! Southwest's profits appear to be declining and the others are making a comeback it seems. United should be hiring by this time next year and I've heard rumors that Delta may begin hiring again also by that time.

October 25, 2006
A Continental Airlines plane flying to the United States from Britain safely made an emergency landing in Iceland on Wednesday, an airline official said.
A faulty gauge caused Continental Flight 29 to land as a precautionary measure, Continental spokeswoman Julie King said.
"There was a gauge that indicated there was an issue with one of the engines and we landed as a precautionary measure," she said. "Maintenance checked it out and we are in the process of refueling the aircraft."
The Boeing 757-200 departed from Gatwick Airport and was scheduled to land at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey before being diverted to Keflavik Airport in Iceland.
All 166 passengers and eight crew members were safe, King said.
(Reuters)

November 2, 2006
Continental Airlines' load factor rose 2 percentage points from a year ago to 79.3 percent, setting a record for October, the airline said.

Continental said revenue per available seat mile increased between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent for the month, as demand remained strong in the traditionally weak period for air travel.

Growth looked likely to have improved a little from September, when tighter security measures kept some travelers at home. In September, revenue per available seat mile, or unit revenues, grew 4.8 percent over the same month a year before.

Continental's revenue passenger miles, or traffic, rose 9.5 percent to 7.3 billion, while available seat miles, a measure of capacity, rose 6.8 percent to 9.2 billion, the Houston-based carrier said.

Continental, one of the few traditional airlines to be adding capacity, is usually the first major carrier to report monthly operational figures, serving as a barometer for industry performance.

(Reuters)

November 2, 2006
Continental Airlines won a battle to offer high speed Internet service in its frequent flier club at Boston Logan International Airport, the US Federal Communications Commission ruled on Wednesday.

The FCC ruled against the Massachusetts Port Authority, or Massport, which ordered airlines in 2005 to unplug their wireless and wireline high-speed Internet services in their lounges and instead use the airport's fee-based system.

"Today's decision ensures that the Wi-Fi bands remain free and open to travelers, who can make productive use of their time while waiting to catch their next flight in an airport," FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said in a statement.

Massport argued that Continental's free service would interfere with its network, raise safety concerns and violate lease agreements. Continental appealed to the FCC.

The airline was backed by the industry, wireless providers and cargo shippers such as UPS.

The FCC agreed in its ruling that the agency's Over-the-Air Reception Devices regulations allowed airlines to offer the Wi-Fi service.

Wireless communications provider T-Mobile USA withdrew its service from American Airlines' lounge at Boston in response to Massport's objections.

(Reuters)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- To an experienced pilot, Runway 29 at Newark Liberty International Airport is hard to miss. It is half a football field wide, and like all jet runways, is marked by white lights on each side and down its center line.

All of which has left some aviation officials surprised and alarmed that a Boeing 757 mistakenly landed on an adjacent taxiway last weekend.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MISSED_RUNWAY?SITE=OKOKL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
By DAVID PORTER
Associated Press Writer