Continental Airlines today
retires its last MD-80 aircraft, which reduces the fleet to just three
Boeing aircraft types—the 777, 767/757 and 737 models. This fleet
simplification is the result of a 10-year strategic effort to eliminate
complexity and expense in Continental’s operations. During the past
decade, Continental has eliminated the A300, DC-10, 747, 737-100/200, 727
and DC-9. “While simplifying the fleet we have also succeeded in dramatically
reducing its age and increasing its fuel efficiency,” said Larry Kellner,
chairman and CEO. “Our best fuel hedge continues to be our fuel-efficient
fleet and operating procedures. Today Continental uses 21 percent less
fuel per available seat mile than it did in 1998.”

Other benefits of a simplified fleet include greater efficiencies in pilot
training and staffing, more flexibility in scheduling crews and routing
aircraft, simplified maintenance and reduced spare part inventory costs,
all of which results in higher reliability.

Continental has one of the youngest fleets in the U.S. The fleet consists
of 348 aircraft, and about 70 percent of the fleet is common-rated 737
aircraft.

Continental’s last MD-80 flight is flight 714, a 6:52 p.m. departure from
DFW to Houston.
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