Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL and CAL.A) today reported a systemwide load factor of 72.8 percent in September, the highest September load factor in company history and 0.1 point above the previous record set last year.

In September 1999, Continental flew 5.0 billion revenue passenger miles (RPMs) and 6.9 billion available seat miles (ASMs), resulting in a traffic increase of 9.3 percent on a capacity increase of 9.2 percent versus September 1998. International traffic was 2.0 billion RPMs, up 23.3 percent from September 1998 and international capacity was 2.5 billion ASMs, up 18.4 percent from last year.

Continental Express, Continental’s wholly owned regional subsidiary, reported its second highest September load factor ever of 61.8 percent, 0.7 points behind last September’s record which was set during the strike at Northwest Airlines. Continental Express flew 189.8 million RPMs and 307.1 million ASMs in September, resulting in a traffic increase of 29.2 percent and a capacity increase of 30.8 percent versus last year.

——-