November 16, 2007
Continental Airlines, this week, announced that it will launch twice-daily nonstop flights to Heathrow Airport from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) beginning on March 29, 2008.
This historic new service is made possible by the recent approval of an open skies agreement between the United States and the European Union. Prior to the approval of this agreement, foreign-owned air carriers were not allowed to fly into London’s Heathrow Airport.
“All of us at the Houston Airport System are very pleased to learn about Continental Airlines’ new nonstop London Heathrow services” said Rick Vacar, director of the Houston Airport System. “Heathrow is of course Europe’s largest gateway, a global hot spot when it comes to business and offers a number of advantages for travelers using Bush Intercontinental Airport.”
“At last we will be able to give our customers something they have long requested. The opportunity to fly to both London’s main airports with their preferred airline,” said Larry Kellner, Continental's chairman and CEO. “At the same time, we will be able to show trans-Atlantic travelers already using Heathrow what they have been missing. We look forward to the chance to compete at Europe’s most important business airport.”
Continental’s new flights from IAH will increase the carrier’s service to London by fifty percent. Heathrow flights will be operated using two aircraft types: the 283-seat Boeing 777-200, carrying 48 passengers in the BusinessFirst cabin and 235 in coach, and the 174-seat Boeing 767-200ER, with 25 BusinessFirst seats and 149 coach seats. The air carrier will also continue operating daily flights to Gatwick Airport from IAH.
Passengers traveling directly to Heathrow Airport will no longer have to utilize bus service to get from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow.
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The Houston Airport System served 51 million passengers in 2006. It is the 4th-largest multi-airport system in the U.S. and the 6th-largest in the world. Bush Intercontinental is the nation’s 9th-busiest airport. According to J.D. Powers & Associates, William P. Hobby Airport is first in customer satisfaction among smaller airports in the United States. HAS annually contributes over $24 billion in positive economic impact to the Greater Houston region. For more information watch Houston Airports Today every Saturday at 9:00 am on KTBU Channel 55 or visit www.fly2houston.com . | 
