Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL)
today began daily nonstop service between Oklahoma City, Omaha, Neb., and
Richmond, Va., and the carrier`s New York and Houston hubs, marking the
commercial launch of 50-seat regional jets with an extended range of more than
1,500 miles.

The new roundtrip flights link Oklahoma City and Omaha to Continental`s
New York hub, Newark Liberty International Airport, continuing a Midwest
expansion that began with the July opening of a Continental Express station in
Des Moines, Iowa.  The flights between Richmond and Continental`s Houston hub
at Bush Intercontinental Airport restore nonstop service that was suspended
after the events of Sept. 11.

“Our commitment to delivering convenient, reliable service aboard the
industry`s most modern jet fleet has helped make Continental Airlines a
customer favorite,” said Continental Senior Vice President-Scheduling Glen
Hauenstein.  “The new Continental Express regional jets allow us to introduce
nonstop service to smaller cities that don`t yet have demand for larger jets
but were beyond the reach of our regional fleet.”

Continental Express operator ExpressJet Airlines, the worldwide launch
customer for the new Embraer ERJ-145XR regional jet, took delivery of the
first eight of its 104 firm orders in October, after aircraft certification by
the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The fast, quiet ERJ-145XR has the same comfortable cabin layout as other
regional jets in the Continental Express fleet and features only window and
aisle seating.  The new model, with a cruise speed of more than 500 miles per
hour, is powered by new Rolls-Royce AE-3007A1E engines, equipped with
auxiliary fuel tanks and fitted with winglets, the most visible change from
previous models.

The latest deliveries increase the total Continental Express operating
fleet to 186 aircraft, including 178 jets.  Ten more ERJ-145XR deliveries are
planned through December, and the last eight turboprops are scheduled to exit
the fleet by year-end, as Continental Express completes its transition to all-
jet flying.

With today`s inaugural service to Omaha, Richmond and Oklahoma City,
Continental now offers customers a total of 111 nonstop destinations from
Liberty International and 139 from Houston Intercontinental.  Continental also
has announced the start of additional nonstop routes in December with
extended-range Continental Express jets, including daily round trips between
Houston and Palm Springs, Calif., and Villahermosa, Mexico, and between
Liberty International and Daytona Beach, Fla.

The launch of twice-daily service today between Oklahoma City and Liberty
International represent the only nonstop flights available from Will Rogers
World Airport to the New York City area.  Continental now offers three daily
round trips between Omaha and Liberty International—the most daily nonstops
offered by any carrier between Omaha and the New York City area.

Departures from Oklahoma City and Omaha are conveniently timed to provide
easy connections to domestic and international nonstop flights from Liberty
International, including an extensive bank of evening flights to top
transatlantic destinations.

Continental introduced two daily round trips today between Richmond and
Houston Intercontinental, the airline`s largest hub.  Convenient morning and
afternoon departures from both cities offer flexibility for business and
leisure travelers, with schedules that easily accommodate connections from
Houston to Latin America and destinations worldwide.

ExpressJet employs more than 5,500 people and provides Continental
Airlines with all of its regional airline capacity at its hub airports in
Houston, Cleveland and New York/Newark.  Continental Express, operated by
ExpressJet Airlines, Inc., offers advance seat assignments and OnePass
frequent flyer miles, which can be redeemed anywhere in the world Continental
and its alliance carriers fly.  ExpressJet Airlines is owned by ExpressJet
Holdings, Inc.  For more information, visit expressjet.com .

Continental Airlines is the world`s sixth-largest airline and has more
than 2,000 daily departures.  With 121 domestic and 90 international
destinations, Continental has the broadest global route network of any U.S.
airline, including extensive service throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and
carries approximately 45 million passengers per year on the newest jet fleet
among major U.S. airlines.  With 48,000 employees, Continental is one of the
“100 Best Companies to Work For in America.”  Fortune ranked Continental the
No. 2 Most Admired Global Airline and No. 30 Most Admired Global Company in
March 2002.  For more company information, visit continental.com

——-