Continental Airlines today reported a March systemwide mainline load
factor of 75.8 percent, 4.2 points above last year’s March load factor. In
addition, the airline had a March domestic mainline load factor of 74.9
percent, 0.7 points above March 2003, and an international mainline load
factor of 77.2 percent, 9.6 points above March 2003.
During the month, Continental recorded a U.S. Department of Transportation
on-time arrival rate of 79.9 percent and a systemwide mainline completion
factor of 99.7 percent.
In March 2004, Continental flew 5.4 billion mainline revenue passenger
miles (RPMs) and 7.2 billion mainline available seat miles (ASMs)
systemwide, resulting in a traffic increase of 10.7 percent and a capacity
increase of 4.5 percent as compared to March 2003. Domestic mainline
traffic was 3.2 billion RPMs in March 2004, up 6.3 percent from March
2003, and domestic mainline capacity was 4.3 billion ASMs, up 5.4 percent
from March 2003.

Systemwide March 2004 passenger revenue per available seat mile (RASM) is
estimated to have increased between 4.5 and 5.5 percent compared to March
2003. For February 2004, RASM decreased 2.5 percent as compared to
February 2003.

Continental’s regional operations (Continental Express) set a record March
load factor of 67.7 percent, 3.5 points above last year’s March load
factor. Regional RPMs were 584.9 million and regional ASMs were 863.4
million in March 2004, resulting in a traffic increase of 39.4 percent and
a capacity increase of 32.0 percent versus March 2003.

Continental Airlines is the world’s seventh-largest airline with more than
2,400 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Continental serves 128 domestic and 111 international destinations—more
than any other airline in the world—and nearly 200 additional points
are served via codeshare partner airlines. With 42,000 mainline employees,
the airline has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and
carries approximately 51 million passengers per year. FORTUNE ranks
Continental one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, an honor
it has earned for six consecutive years. FORTUNE also ranks Continental as
the top airline in its Most Admired Global Companies in 2004. For more
company information, visit continental.com .
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