Continental Airlines Announces New Service to Hilo, Hawai'i

CHICAGO, Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines today announced new daily nonstop service to Hilo, Hawai'i, from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and once-weekly service to Hilo from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) beginning June 9, 2011.

The new flights complement Continental's and United's extensive service to Hawai'i. United, which has served the islands since 1947, and Continental collectively provide more mainland service to Hawai'i than any other carrier from their hubs at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Chicago and Newark/New York.

"We are excited to provide customers the only direct flights to Hilo from the mainland," said Jim Compton, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings, Inc. "These flights will offer customers convenient, nonstop service to the Big Island without having to connect in Honolulu."

"The addition of the two routes is welcome news for Hawai'i Island and the entire state, and a result of the momentum established by our tourism industry to lead Hawai'i's tourism recovery. Based on initial Hawai'i Tourism Authority projections, the flights could bring nearly 40,000 more visitors to the island and generate $50.6 million in direct visitor spending and $5.52 million in tax revenue," said Mike McCartney, Hawai'i Tourism Authority president and CEO.

Continental will utilize a 160-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the new routes, with 16 seats in first class and 144 seats in economy. The flight schedules are as follows:

The new flights are timed to provide convenient connections at Los Angeles and San Francisco, with an extensive network of United and Continental flights to more than 82 destinations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America. United's hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco are the largest of any carrier on the West Coast.  

"Hilo has demonstrated its value as a premier visitor destination with nearby Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival as featured attractions, and we believe that once visitors discover Hilo, they will want to return again and again," said County of Hawai'i  Mayor Billy Kenoi. "I am grateful for Continental's confidence in our future as a visitor destination, and I know these direct flights will become a win-win for both Continental and Hawai'i Island. Aloha and mahalo to Continental Airlines for being an industry leader and making this happen."

About United Continental Holdings, Inc.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate a total of approximately 5,800 flights a day to 371 airports on six continents from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers 21,000 daily flights to 1,160 airports in 181 countries. United's and Continental's more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHoldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com, and follow each company on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.