Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) flies to 230 destinations worldwide, but considers its New York-Tel Aviv route to be the strongest. Although the airline does not disclose data about its various routes, sources at the company assert that this route is also the airline’s most profitable.
Continental Airlines carries 440,000 passengers a year between New York and Tel Aviv, more than any other foreign airline, making 14 weekly flights.
Continental Airlines says Israel is the only destination for which it flies two Boeing 777s a day from New York. The airline makes two daily flights to London from Houston. Other non-US destinations have one flight a day. The airline carries 61 million passengers a year on its 650-plane fleet.
Continental Airlines chairman and CEO Lawrence W. Kellner says the Israel route is very important to the airline, and that it intended to add another daily flight in 2009, using the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
During a visit to Israel yesterday, Kellner dismissed rumors about possible mergers. He said has been with the airline for 12 years, during which there were all kinds of rumors about possible mergers and acquisitions.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 14, 2006
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