Continental Airlines
| Continental Airlines | |
|---|---|
|
|
| IATA code : | CO |
| ICAO code : | COA |
| Call sign : | CONTINENTAL |
| Founding: | 1934 |
| Operation stopped: | 2012 |
| Merged with: | United Airlines |
| Seat: |
Chicago , United States
|
| Turnstile : | |
| Home airport : | Houston-George Bush |
| Company form: | Subsidiary of United Continental Holdings |
| Management: | Jeffery A. Smisek ( CEO ) |
| Number of employees: | 41,800 |
| Passenger volume: | 62.809 million (2009) |
| Alliance : |
Star Alliance (until October 2009 SkyTeam ) |
| Frequent Flyer Program : | OnePass |
| Fleet size: | 353 (+ 71 orders) |
| Aims: | National and international |
| Continental Airlines merged with United Airlines in 2012 . The information in italics relates to the last status before the takeover. | |
Continental Airlines was an American airline based in the Continental Center I in Houston . Due to a merger with United Airlines in 2010/2011, in the course of which the merged company gave up the brand name Continental Airlines in favor of United Airlines , the headquarters were relocated to Chicago . Continental was a member of the international aviation alliance Skyteam from 2004 to 2009 and switched to the Star Alliance in 2009, before the merger with United, of which the merged company is still a member today.
history
First years
Continental Airlines was founded in Denver (Colorado) in the spring of 1934 under the name Varney Speed Lines by Walter T. Varney and Louis H. Mueller to participate in the re-award of airmail contracts that had been terminated as a result of the airmail scandal . Walter Varney already owned a postal airline in 1926, Varney Air Lines , which was taken over by Boeing Air Transport in 1927 and is the original company of United Airlines .
Varney Speed Lines won the state tender for mail flights between Pueblo ( Colorado ) and El Paso ( Texas ) and began flight operations on July 15, 1934 as a passenger and mail airline with four Lockheed Vega on this route. On July 1, 1937, the name was changed to Continental Air Lines . Robert F. Six had previously acquired a 40% stake in the company in 1935 for $ 90,000. On July 5, 1936, he became general manager. In October 1937, the company relocated to Denver Municipal Airport in Colorado.
Further development until the 1970s
In 1946 29 cities were served, in 1953 Pioneer Airlines were taken over and in 1957 Vickers Viscount also served national destinations with Los Angeles, Chicago and Kansas City . After the lettering on the aircraft was changed to Continental Airlines when the first Convair CV-240 was taken over in the late 1940s , this brand identity was also used in flight plans from the beginning of 1958. The official company name remained Continental Air Lines Inc. until it was changed to Continental Airlines Inc. in the early 1990s .
In June 1959, the jet age began at Continental Airlines with the Boeing 707 and in 1968 the subsidiary Air Micronesia (later Continental Micronesia ) was founded in Guam . In 1970 the first Boeing 747 went into service and in 1978 the route network was greatly expanded with the deregulation of US air traffic.
1980s and 1990s
As part of the deregulation of the American aviation industry, it was taken over by the Texas Air Corporation holding company in 1982 . This parent company already owned the Houston- based Texas International Airlines . Texas International Airlines and Continental Airlines merged in October . The company's headquarters were then moved to Houston and Frank Lorenzo became the new head of the airline. This led the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 1983 . 1986 Chapter 11 was abandoned and in 1987 the competing companies People Express and New York Air were bought. People Express was one of the first low-cost airlines and operated primarily from Denver, but also from Newark. However, People Express also offered flights to London Gatwick , which eventually opened the door to Europe for Continental . With the takeover of both companies, Newark Airport became another hub for Continental . The Boeing 737-300 and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 from New York Air remained in Continental Airlines ' fleet until a few months ago , People Express kept the Boeing 727 for a long time and the Boeing 747 for a few years .
From May 16, 1986, the fully integrated subsidiary Continental Micronesia existed , which operated 100% as a partner of Continental Airlines in the Asian and Pacific regions. The main hub of Continental Micronesia was the US Pacific Territory of Guam .
In 1990 the airline had to seek protection from its Chapter 11 creditors again , as the pension burdens of the troubled sister company Eastern Air Lines weighed on Continental . In 1993, Air Canada and the Texas Pacific Group invested $ 450 million in Continental .
More recent history since 2000
In the years 1999 and 2000 was Continental Airlines from Forbes Magazine named one of the 100 best US employers. The former Boeing manager Gordon Bethune took over the management of the company and successfully restructured the company. He made Continental profitable and was among the major US airlines that best mastered the financial setbacks in aviation as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 . Bethune brought Continental success very quickly, invested in excellent staff and service, reasonable prices for good performance and the rapid fleet renewal was tackled at an accelerated rate.
As a result of the upcoming merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines , Continental Airlines decided to reconsider its membership in the SkyTeam Alliance. After failed merger talks with United Airlines followed talks on a possible cooperation and membership in the oneworld - alliance with American Airlines and British Airways , as well as further discussions with United Airlines . On June 19, 2008, it was finally decided to work closely with United Airlines , Lufthansa and Air Canada in the Atlantic Plus-Plus cartel and to switch to the Star Alliance , which took place on October 27, 2009. On April 8, 2009, the US Department of Transportation approved the accession of Continental Airlines to the Star Alliance and on July 10, 2009 to Atlantic Plus-Plus .
Merger with United Airlines
In May 2010 it was announced that Continental intends to merge with United Airlines . The new company will be called United Airlines . The Continental logo and corporate design , including the aircraft color scheme, are to be adopted by United. United is taking over Continental Airlines for 3.2 billion US dollars in shares.
At the end of September 2010 the merger process began under the umbrella of the new parent company Continental United Holdings . On December 1, 2011, the Air Operator Certificate of the two companies was merged, Continental Airlines has been flying as United Airlines since then and also uses their callsigns . With the integration of Continental into the United license, the flight operations of Continental Airlines legally ceased.
On March 3, 2012, the last scheduled flight in the history of Continental Airlines officially took place, flight CO1267 from Phoenix to Cleveland.
aims
Continental Airlines served numerous destinations within the United States as well as many international destinations on several continents. In German-speaking countries, Continental Airlines flew from New York / Newark to Berlin (1 × daily, Boeing 757-200), Frankfurt am Main (1 × daily, Boeing 777-200ER), Hamburg (1 × daily, Boeing 757-200) , Munich (1 × daily, Boeing 767-400ER), Geneva (1 × daily, Boeing 767-400ER) and Zurich (1 × daily, Boeing 767-400ER). Continental also flew to Düsseldorf until 2001 and to Cologne / Bonn from 2006 to 2008 . With the change to Star Alliance, daily flights from Houston to Frankfurt am Main with Boeing 777-200ER were added from September 2, 2009. Since January 3, 2012, the route from Newark to Frankfurt am Main has been increased by an additional daily flight (until March 3, 2012 with a Continental flight number) with Boeing 757-200.
fleet
Continental Airlines
As of June 2011, the main fleet of Continental Airlines consisted of 353 aircraft with an average age of 10.1 years, which were transferred to the fleet of the "new" United Airlines as part of the merger:
| Aircraft type | active | ordered | Remarks | Seats (First / Economy Plus / Economy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-500 | 32 | first delivery on February 7, 1994 | 114 (8 / - / 106) | |
| Boeing 737-700 | 36 | 46 | first delivery on March 30, 1998 | 124 (12 / - / 112) |
| Boeing 737-800 | 130 | first delivery on June 23, 1998; 9 operated by Continental Micronesia | 152 (20 / - / 132) 157 (16 / - / 141) 160 (14 / - / 144) 155 (14 / - / 141) |
|
| Boeing 737-900 | 12 | first delivery on May 29, 2001 | 173 (20 / - / 153) | |
| Boeing 737-900 ER | 33 | 173 (20 / - / 153) | ||
| Boeing 757-200 | 41 | first delivery on May 12, 1994 | 175 (16 / - / 159) | |
| Boeing 757-300 | 21st | first delivery on December 20, 2001 | 216 (24 / - / 192) | |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 10 | first delivery on November 9, 2000 | 174 (25 / - / 149) | |
| Boeing 767-400ER | 16 | first delivery on August 30, 2000; 4 operated by Continental Micronesia | 235 (35 / - / 200) 256 (20 / - / 236) |
|
| Boeing 777-200ER | 22nd | first delivery on September 28, 1998 | 285 (50 / - / 235) |
Continental Connection
Under the brand name and on behalf of Continental Connection was Chautauqua Airlines , ExpressJet Airlines , Cape Air , Colgan Air and CommutAir operated a network of regional and feeder flights for Continental Airlines:
| Type | active | ordered |
|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-300 | 1 | |
| Beechcraft 1900D | 21st | |
| Bombardier CRJ200 | 13 | |
| DHC-8-200 | 16 | |
| DHC-8-400 | 14th | |
| Cessna 402 | 54 | |
| Embraer ERJ 145 | 223 | |
| Saab 340B | 11 | |
| total | 353 | - |
Incidents
- On May 22, 1962, a passenger over Iowa (USA) blew up a Continental Airlines Boeing 707-124 ( aircraft registration number N70775) en route from Chicago to the Kansas City-Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport . All 45 people on board died. The FBI found out that the suicide bomber was an insurance fraud (see also Continental Airlines Flight 11 ) .
- On January 29, 1963, the Vickers Viscount 812 N242V crashed while landing at the Kansas City Municipal Airport, killing all 8 occupants. The accident is attributed to undetected icing of the horizontal stabilizer , which led to the loss of control (see also Continental Airlines Flight 290 ) .
- On March 1, 1978, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 from Continental Airlines (N68045) was just about to take off from Los Angeles International Airport when three landing gear tires burst one after the other immediately before reaching the decisive speed. After an aborted take-off, the machine rolled over the end of the runway, causing the left main landing gear to break, two wing tanks being damaged and a fire breaking out. Towards the end of the evacuation of the machine, all of the emergency slides failed one after the other. 31 of the 200 occupants of the machine were injured and two passengers died (see also Continental Airlines flight 603 ) .
- On November 15, 1987, a Douglas DC-9-14 of Continental Airlines (N626TX) sank back onto the runway of Denver-Stapleton Airport , Colorado , USA after taking off and broke up. Both pilots were very inexperienced with this type and had not had the aircraft sufficiently de-iced. 28 of 82 inmates died. The investigation report criticized the lack of regulations at Continental with regard to the necessary flight experience (see also Continental Airlines flight 1713 ) .
- On October 21, 1989, a Boeing 727-224 operated for TAN Honduras with 146 people on board fell below the safety altitude as it approached Tegucigalpa Airport and crashed into a mountain about 9 kilometers from the runway. 131 people were killed in the process (see also TAN flight 414 ) .
- On July 28, 1999, an employee of the ground crew at Little Rock National Airport was killed when he ran into the running propeller blade of a regional machine of the type ATR 42-500 of the Continental Express, which had just arrived from Houston (see also Continental Express Flight 3402 ) .
- On July 25, 2000, a DC-10 lost a metal part on the runway when it took off from Paris . This part led to the crash of a Concorde of Air France , in which 113 people died. On December 6, 2010, the court convicted Continental Airlines and one of the airline's mechanics of negligent homicide. On November 29, 2012, Continental Airlines and its employees were acquitted of the charge of negligent homicide in revocation proceedings. The airline only has to pay Air France one million euros in compensation for the damage to property and its image.
- On December 20, 2008, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-500 (N18611) was hit by a strong crosswind while taking off from Denver Airport . The machine swerved to the left, lifting briefly from the ground and then hitting again. On impact the fuselage broke, the landing gear and the left engine were torn off. A fire broke out in the area of the right engine, severely damaging the machine. There were 115 people on board, 47 of whom were injured.
- On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air machine of the type De Havilland DHC- 8-400, which was flying on behalf of Continental as a Continental Connection, crashed near Buffalo . All 44 passengers, 4 crew members as well as one other pilot out of service and one person on the ground were killed. In addition, four people were seriously injured on the ground. The weather was bad at the time of the crash. However, human error is determined as the pilots at the onset as a cause of the crash stall , due to fatigue and associated lack of focus, incorrectly responded (see also Continental Airlines Flight 3407 ) .
See also
Web links
Wikinews: Continental Airlines - in the newsIndividual evidence
- ↑ a b c airliners.de: Continental and United under one roof October 1, 2010
- ↑ Continental Airlines: Quarterly Report Q1 2007 ( Memento of the original from December 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ " Address of the main office ." Continental Airlines.
- ↑ Continental Air Lines, flight plan, July 1, 1937 , accessed November 25, 2019
- ↑ FliegerRevue September 2009, pp.10–14, course correction in the anniversary year
- ↑ Continental Airlines, flight plan January 20, 1958 , accessed November 25, 2019
- ↑ JP airline-fleets international, annual issues 92/93 and 93/94
- ^ Continental Airlines: Airline Partners and Global Alliances .
- ↑ Continental Airlines Receives Antitrust Immunity April 8, 2009
- ↑ Continental joins alliance with Lufthansa ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ airliners.de: United and Continental announce merger May 3, 2010
- ↑ United Airlines and Continental Airlines merge
- ↑ Handelsblatt - UAL- Continental Fusion: Free course for the world's largest airline from 17 Sep. 2010
- ↑ airliners.de - United / Continental: FAA issues "Single Operating Certificate" December 1, 2011
- ↑ abclocal.go.com - United at last: Continental Airlines no longer exists (English) March 3, 2012
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch - Continental Airlines' fleet (English) accessed on June 7, 2011
- ↑ airfleets.net - Fleet age of Continental Airlines (English) accessed on June 7, 2011
- ↑ Boeing: Orders from Continental Airlines (English) accessed on February 16, 2011
- ↑ Continental Airlines: Configuration of the Fleet
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch: Chautauqua Airlines fleet September 15, 2009
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch: Fleet of the ExpressJet Airlines September 15, 2009
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch: Cape Air fleet September 15, 2009
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch: Colgan Air fleet September 15, 2009
- ↑ ch-aviation.ch: CommutAir fleet ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. September 15, 2009
- ↑ accident report B 707-120 N70775 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 30 of 2019.
- ↑ ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest 15 Volume II, Circular 78-AN / 66, pp. 34-46
- ↑ accident report Viscount N242V , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 22 January 2016th
- ^ Accident report DC-10-10, N68045 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 25, 2020.
- ^ Accident report DC-9-14 N626TX , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 10, 2017.
- ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19891021-0
- ↑ http://nachrichten.t-online.de/concorde-absturz-freisracht-fuer-us-fluggesellschaft/id_61125730/index
- ↑ Accident report B-737-500 N18611 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 25, 2019.
| Members |
Aegean Airlines • Air Canada • Air China • Air India • Air New Zealand • All Nippon Airways • Asiana Airlines • Austrian • Avianca • Brussels Airlines • Copa Airlines • Croatia Airlines • Egypt Air • Ethiopian Airlines • EVA Air • Lufthansa • LOT • SAS Scandinavian Airlines • Shenzhen Airlines • Singapore Airlines • South African Airways • Swiss International Air Lines • TAP Portugal • Thai Airways International • Turkish Airlines • United Airlines |
|
| Connecting Partners | ||
| Former |
Adria Airways • Ansett Australia • British Midland Airways • Continental Airlines • Mexicana • Shanghai Airlines • Spanair • TACA • TAM Linhas Aéreas • US Airways • VARIG |
