Continental Notebook

Boeing 777 first officer Stephen Kessinger, based out of Newark Liberty International Airport, was flying from Delhi, India, to Newark when he had a radio conversation with a military air traffic controller stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan. The controller told him about how lonely the troops became while stationed overseas, and how much receiving mail means to them.

Prompted by this conversation, and not content to just listen and sit by, First Officer Kessinger began a campaign to send 16 “care packages” to troops at the Kabul Air Control Center. He contacted friends, co-workers including fellow pilots, and even the tourism board of Lake Champlain, Vt., to raise more than $2,000 that was used to purchase much-needed items. About 45 donors contributed to the project.

“[Y]ou’ve shown your true American colors through your generosity to those of us not as fortunate, doing a job far from home,” the Kabul air traffic controller said in a letter of thanks to First Officer Kessinger. “You took the time and the effort to support those that protect our freedoms. I applaud that generosity. Everyone here appreciates what you and your people have done for us.”

Continental has begun code-sharing with the newest airline to join the SkyTeam alliance, China Southern. Continental flight numbers are now used on China Southern flights operating from Beijing to Guangzhou, Dalian, and Shenyang, which provide convenient connecting service to these cities in conjunction with Continental’s own flights to Beijing from Newark Liberty.

The relationship between Continental and China Southern also extends to frequentflyer and lounge access reciprocity. Continental OnePass members can accrue and redeem miles on China Southern flights. China Southern joined SkyTeam on November 15, 2007, as the alliance’s 11^th full member, offering SkyTeam Elite benefits and airport lounge access for eligible customers.

With the addition of China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in China, SkyTeam now serves approximately 428 million passengers annually, covering 841 destinations.

In late 2007, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) announced the appointment of Captain Don Gunther, Continental’s senior director of safety and regulatory compliance, as its new industry co-chair.

“Captain Gunther brings a wide array of operational and safety experience to the CAST team,” said Basil Barimo, vice president of operations and safety for the Air Transport Association. “Don has been instrumental in helping the industry improve its safety record, and we look forward to many more contributions from him.”

A native of Southern California, Gunther graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 and flew Naval Reserve aircraft for 20 years. Hired by Continental Airlines in 1977, he has qualified as both a captain and an instructor pilot. His corporate management responsibilities include flight safety, ground safety, regulatory issues, the internal audit program, workers’ compensation, and medical programs. In addition, he supervises crucial companywide voluntary safety reporting systems. Gunther’s team developed innovative Threat & Error Management (TEM) training programs, now endorsed by worldwide aviation authorities.

Captain Gunther has served as chair of the ATA Human Factors Committee and as a member of the FAA Voluntary Safety Information Sharing (VSIS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). Currently a member of the Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governors, he also took on the role of chair of the ATA Safety Council starting in January.

CAST represents key stakeholders in commercial aviation acting cooperatively to lead the worldwide aviation community to the highest levels of safety by focusing on voluntary adoption of prioritized safety enhancements. — L.T.