Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL and CAL.A) today announced it will soon begin equipping its entire fleet of 361 jet aircraft with automatic external defibrillators (AED) and training its in-flight cabin crews on how to use these devices. Installation of the Agilent Technologies Heartstream AEDs will begin in the second quarter 2000 and is expected to be completed by mid year.

An AED is a device that is used to resuscitate a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. The portable device, about the size of a laptop computer, delivers an electrical shock to restore a normal heartbeat. The machine uses voice prompts to guide the user through the process, and the machine determines whether the person needs the use of the device.

“We believe defibrillators will be valuable tools to have on board. Because we carry nearly 44 million passengers a year, we want our in-flight crews to be ready to respond quickly to an emergency,” said Capt. Deborah McCoy, senior vice president of flight operations for Continental Airlines. “This is a worthwhile investment that could potentially save lives.”

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