Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL and CAL.A) today reported a systemwide load factor of 73.2 percent in October, the highest October load factor in company history and 2.1 points above the previous record set last year.

In October 1999, Continental flew 5.2 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) and 7.1 billion available seat miles (ASMs), resulting in a traffic increase of 14.7 percent on a capacity increase of 11.5 percent versus October 1998. International traffic was 1.9 billion RPMs, up 30.9 percent from October 1998 and international capacity was 2.6 billion ASMs, up 22.9 percent from last year.

Continental Express, Continental’s wholly owned regional subsidiary, reported its highest October load factor ever of 64.7 percent, 5.3 points above last October’s record. Continental Express flew 209.8 million RPMs and 324.1 million ASMs in October, resulting in a traffic increase of 42.5 percent and a capacity increase of 30.7 percent versus last year.

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