Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL and CAL.A) today reported a record 73.3 percent systemwide load factor for the full-year 1999, 1.1 points above the previous record set in 1998. Continental Express also had its highest full-year load factor ever of 62.6 percent, up 3.4 points from its 1998 record. In December 1999, Continental Airlines reported a systemwide load factor of 67.9 percent, 0.1 point below the record set for December 1998.

In December 1999, Continental flew 4.8 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) and 7.1 billion available seat miles (ASMs), resulting in a traffic increase of 8.4 percent on a capacity increase of 8.5 percent versus December 1998. International traffic was 1.7 billion RPMs, up 15.0 percent from December 1998 and international capacity was 2.6 billion ASMs, up 17.3 percent from December 1998.

Continental Express, Continental`s wholly owned regional subsidiary, reported its highest December load factor ever of 61.0 percent, 2.4 points above last December`s record. Continental Express flew 207.2 million RPMs and 339.8 million ASMs in December, resulting in a traffic increase of 44.8 percent and a capacity increase of 39.1 percent versus December 1998.

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