May 19, 2003, 9:49PM
Link-up to revive commutes to small cities for Continental
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Commuter carrier SkyWest will handle flights from Houston to some smaller Texas towns on behalf of Continental Airlines.
The new venture, called Continental Connection, marks a first for the Houston area.
On July 1, SkyWest will begin service from Houston to Killeen; service to Waco will begin Aug. 1.
Initially, there will be four flights a day to each, Continental spokesman Dave Messing said.
SkyWest will use 30-seat turboprop aircraft, and its plans call for service to other Texas locations, he said.
Although Continental Express offered service to smaller markets, the carrier dropped service to Waco when demand fell after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Continental Express, of which Continental is a majority owner, had been moving from a mixed fleet that included 30-seat aircraft to an all-jet fleet where the smallest aircraft was 50 seats. That meant the impact from the drop-off in service was even more pronounced. The relationship with SkyWest gives Continental access to aircraft of the appropriate size for markets, Messing noted.
"It is another way to build the network," he said.
The service to Killeen will replace jet service being offered by ExpressJet.
Ron Reber, SkyWest executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Continental is dedicated to facing the industry's challenges.
"We have certainly strengthened SkyWest's stability with this new code-sharing agreement, and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with Continental," Reber said.
SkyWest, based in St. George, Utah, already provides commuter flights for United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
SkyWest serves 98 cities in 29 states and two Canadian provinces and has more than 1,000 daily departures, according to the carrier.
Link-up to revive commutes to small cities for Continental
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Commuter carrier SkyWest will handle flights from Houston to some smaller Texas towns on behalf of Continental Airlines.
The new venture, called Continental Connection, marks a first for the Houston area.
On July 1, SkyWest will begin service from Houston to Killeen; service to Waco will begin Aug. 1.
Initially, there will be four flights a day to each, Continental spokesman Dave Messing said.
SkyWest will use 30-seat turboprop aircraft, and its plans call for service to other Texas locations, he said.
Although Continental Express offered service to smaller markets, the carrier dropped service to Waco when demand fell after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Continental Express, of which Continental is a majority owner, had been moving from a mixed fleet that included 30-seat aircraft to an all-jet fleet where the smallest aircraft was 50 seats. That meant the impact from the drop-off in service was even more pronounced. The relationship with SkyWest gives Continental access to aircraft of the appropriate size for markets, Messing noted.
"It is another way to build the network," he said.
The service to Killeen will replace jet service being offered by ExpressJet.
Ron Reber, SkyWest executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Continental is dedicated to facing the industry's challenges.
"We have certainly strengthened SkyWest's stability with this new code-sharing agreement, and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with Continental," Reber said.
SkyWest, based in St. George, Utah, already provides commuter flights for United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
SkyWest serves 98 cities in 29 states and two Canadian provinces and has more than 1,000 daily departures, according to the carrier.
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