Continental Airlines Opposes DOT's Plan to Auction Additional Flight Operations at...

Continental Airlines Opposes DOT's Plan to Auction Additional Flight
Operations at Newark Liberty International Airport

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines
(NYSE: CAL) stated today that it opposes the U.S. Department of
Transportation's (DOT) plan to auction rights to conduct additional flight
operations at Newark Liberty International Airport. The proposed auction,
announced today by the DOT, would add flight operations at times during which
the airport is already experiencing significant delays. The DOT's attempt to
add more flights at one of the nation's most congested and delayed airports is
baffling, given the increased delays at Newark Liberty and the FAA's actions
earlier this year to place caps on flight operations at Newark Liberty.
"DOT should not be taking action to increase flights at Newark Liberty
when congestion there has continued to worsen, despite the imposition of caps
on flight operations," said a Continental spokesperson. "Moreover, DOT
doesn't have the legal authority to conduct auctions, which will get tied up
in litigation by a broad spectrum of opponents who are focused on solving
congestion."
In response to DOT's plan to conduct auctions, the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey recently issued a proposed order prohibiting any flights
at the major New York/New Jersey airports pursuant to permission granted
through a federal sale or auction of flight operation authority, conducted
without authorization of Congress. The Port Authority stated that such
auctions would have a material adverse effect on airport operations, airline
service, ticket prices, destinations served, customer service, consumer
choice, and overall passenger demand, and would be unlawful absent
Congressional authorization.
Newark Liberty has the potential to operate at higher volumes, but only if
the Administration and Congress can make meaningful progress in funding and
implementing new-technology air traffic control systems.
Continental will continue to work with the DOT, the FAA, the Port
Authority and all the other parties who have a stake in this process to
improve the capacity and reduce the congestion of Newark Liberty and the New
York airspace.
SOURCE Continental Airlines

Corporate Communications of Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080,
corpcomm@coair.com