Continental Airlines to Launch Seasonal Nonstop Cleveland-Paris Flights; Through Service to Shanghai Pending DOT Approval
Friday September 15, 3:19 PM EDT
CLEVELAND, Sept 15, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Continental Airlines (CAL) today announced plans to launch the first-ever nonstop service between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, beginning in 2008.
Provides convenient worldwide connections
The new service, which will be open for sale in the summer of 2007 and will initially be seasonal, complements Continental's existing international service between Cleveland Hopkins and London Gatwick, England; Cancun, Mexico; Montreal and Toronto, Canada; and Nassau, Bahamas.
The Cleveland to Paris route is especially attractive as it allows Continental to enhance its participation in the SkyTeam global airline alliance. The new service will provide convenient onward connections to points throughout Europe, Asia and Africa via a Paris hub, operated by Continental's SkyTeam partner Air France. Passenger traffic will be strengthened by having hubs at both ends of the route.
New through flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai
In addition, Continental announced that it intends to provide through flight service between Cleveland Hopkins and Shanghai, China, beginning March 25, 2007, pending Department of Transportation (DOT) approval. The through flight number service will provide convenient air service between the growing region of northern Ohio and China's center for finance and trade via Continental's New York area hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. Continental has applied to the DOT to operate the first-ever nonstop New York/Newark to Shanghai service and the only nonstop Shanghai service from the entire Northeast region of the U.S.
Expanded regional airline service
Also in February 2007, Continental Airlines will begin to introduce 16 modern 37-passenger Bombardier Q-200 cabin class aircraft for its Continental Connection flights operated by CommutAir at its Cleveland hub. These aircraft will replace the 19-seat Beechcraft 1900 aircraft currently in service. The transition of aircraft is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.
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