Additional flight options for Europe, Canada and U.S. Capital

November 1, 2009 promises to be an exciting and busy day at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), as Continental Airlines launches nonstop service to three different cities located in three different countries.

The additional flight options will begin to show up early on that Sunday morning, as a new nonstop flight connecting IAH and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) takes off at 7:25 am..

Once the inaugural takeoff is completed, Continental Express will operate three daily scheduled flights between Houston and Washington, D.C. using its 55-seat Embraer regional jet aircraft.

“The flights to Washington Dulles International Airport will provide customers with increased connecting opportunities between Continental and its future Star Alliance partner, United, which has an international hub at Dulles,” said Jim Compton, Continental’s executive vice president of marketing.

The arrival of a Continental Airlines’ Boeing 737-500 aircraft will mark the beginning of the next celebration, slated to take place just before noon at 11:56 am.

That arrival marks the beginning of nonstop service connecting Houston with Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta, Canada.

Edmonton is known throughout the world for its majestic mountains and pristine lakes but leaders within the Houston Airport System (HAS) say there was an additional factor at play which led to the launch of this nonstop service.

“This is one of those connections that just makes perfect sense,” says Genaro Pena, deputy assistant director for marketing with HAS. “Edmonton and Houston both represent key energy epicenters for their respective countries and now we have nonstop service to make that connection even stronger in the future.”

The 114-seat aircraft will leave Houston and head back to Edmonton International Airport (YEG) at 6:00 pm, which is almost the exact same time that other Continental and HAS team members plan to celebrate the launch of yet another nonstop flight from IAH’s largest air carrier.

At 5:55 pm a Boeing 767-200 aircraft is scheduled to begin speeding down the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, officially launching new nonstop service between Houston and Frankfurt, Germany.

The new service not only connects Houston to one of Europe’s most important hub cities, but it also represents the fourth European city to be served by Continental with nonstop service from Houston.

“We are pleased to add Frankfurt to the list of international cities we serve from Houston,” Compton said. “In addition to providing a link to the financial center of Germany, the Houston to Frankfurt route will provide convenient onward connections for travelers from throughout the Americas to points in Europe, Asia and Africa.”

For leaders within the Houston Airport System, the launch of three new nonstop flights in one day is yet another sign that the Houston market continues to attract new service and new airlines, even in the midst of a difficult economic climate.

“What we’ve seen in 2009 has truly been amazing,” said HAS interim director Eric Potts. “Even with the economy struggling at the national level, we’ve seen a steady parade of new service arriving in the Houston market and I think that’s a testament to the strong diversified economy here at home.”