On behalf of my more than 45,000 co-workers, welcome aboard and thank you for choosing Continental Airlines for your flight today. We work hard to uphold our core principles of clean, safe, and reliable service on every flight, and to make sure that Continental is your first choice every time you fly. One of the most essential aspects of being your first choice is, of course, providing service to the destinations that are most important to you.

With that in mind, we have worked hard for more than a decade to strengthen our international route network, serving the major international cities and also offering nonstop service to secondary international markets.

The latest addition to our international portfolio is our new service to London’s Heathrow Airport. For years, our customers have let us know that they would like to fly their favorite carrier, Continental, into Heathrow, one of the most important business airports in the world. When Open Skies went into effect in late March, we were the first new-entrant carrier into Heathrow, as well as the largest, with four daily widebody flights into the airport: two from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport and two from New York/Newark Liberty International Airport. We continue to serve London Gatwick as well. In total, our seat capacity to London has increased by more than 20 percent.

With Heathrow, we now serve a total of 31 destinations across the Atlantic, including favorite cities like Paris and Amsterdam. A few weeks ago, we launched new service between Paris and our Cleveland hub.

We are also developing a strong presence in emerging business hot spots like India and China. In India, we serve both Delhi and Mumbai, and in China, we serve Beijing and Hong Kong and later this year will launch service to Shanghai.

We also have a tradition of strength in the Pacific with Continental Micronesia, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary of Continental service this year, and our hub in Guam. Also in 2008, we are celebrating 25 years of linking Nagoya (Japan) and Guam, and the 10th anniversary of service between Guam and the Japanese cities Niigata and Okayama. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Continental Airlines’ Narita–New York service. Continental serves eight cities in Japan, the largest number of any U.S. or European carrier.

In addition, I am proud of our long-standing presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, where we serve 76 destinations, including 31 in Mexico, more than any other U.S. carrier.

Of course, we wouldn’t be able to offer service to these and other great destinations if it weren’t for my co-workers, whose hard work and professionalism truly shine. This month, I’d like to give particular thanks to one of my international co-workers, Panama-based International Outside Sales Representative Argelis Roski. You can read more about her here.

I join all my co-workers in thanking you again for choosing Continental for your flight today. We hope to see you again soon.

Larry Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines