Continental Airlines and Bakersfield`s Meadows Field Airport today
announced the airline will inaugurate service at Bakersfield April 4,
2004, with twice-daily nonstop flights linking the airport with
Continental`s hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Flights are timed to offer convenient connections in Houston to dozens of
destinations in the United States, Canada, Central and South America,
Europe and the Caribbean. The airline will operate the 50-seat Embraer
ERJ-145 aircraft on each flight.

“Continental`s new service at Bakersfield will make the region an even
more attractive place to do business, and will offer those who live and
work in Bakersfield even more opportunities to reach the world,” said Bob
Cortelyou, Continental`s staff vice president of scheduling.

Pete Parra, chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, said he is
pleased with the opportunities Continental service represents for the
county.

“Many companies look at available air service when making location
decisions. Better air service will create more job opportunities,” Parra
said.
Kern County Airports Director Ray Bishop said the new service comes after
nearly 18 months of discussions between Meadows Field and Continental.

“Soliciting a new airline is a difficult process, and the competition for
service from other communities is intense,” Bishop said. “Ultimately, we
were successful because of the strong support and commitment we received
from the community and our local oil industry. This new service will
result in better fares and more choices for air travel.”

Houston, the energy capital of the United States, is home to leading
energy companies including Halliburton Energy Services and Baker Hughes,
both of which have operations in California.

Continental Airlines is the world`s seventh-largest airline with more than
2,200 daily departures to 127 domestic and 96 international destinations
throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. With 42,000 mainline employees,
the airline has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and
carries approximately 41 million passengers per year. Fortune ranks
Continental one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, highest
among major U.S. carriers in the quality of its service and products, and
No. 2 on its list of Most Admired Global Airlines. For more company
information, visit continental.com .
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