On behalf of my more than 45,000 co-workers, welcome aboard Continental Airlines, and Happy New Year. We will work hard on this and every flight to provide you with the best service and the best product in the industry.
The aviation industry is strongly affected by the cost of crude oil, which has generated headline after headline as it has reached new heights. At Continental, jet fuel, refined from crude oil, is our largest expense. In light of these prices, I’m particularly glad that over the past decade at Continental, my co-workers have achieved an almost 35 percent reduction in fuel consumption* — a boon for our bottom line, as well as for the environment. Our increase in efficiency is due in large part to both my co-workers’ hard work in running a smart operation and an investment of more than $12 billion in our mainline fleet.
Over the next three years, we plan to accept delivery of 64 fuel-efficient Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, including 32 in 2008. For longer distances, we have on order 25 of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, which will be significantly more fuel-efficient than a comparable aircraft today. Both the 737 Next Generation and the 787 will also provide you with top-of-the-line passenger comfort.
Our fleet investments aren’t limited to ordering the latest and greatest in aircraft; we’re also updating our existing fleet with fuel-saving technology. We have installed blended winglets on more than 200 aircraft in our mainline fleet. If you look out the window, there’s a very good chance your aircraft today is equipped with these wingtip extensions, which reduce drag and lower emissions, noise, and fuel burn by up to 5 percent. We’ve been an industry leader when it comes to winglets; we were the launch customer for winglets on the Boeing 757-200 and 737-500 aircraft.
We also have installed advanced-technology GE90 3D Aero Blades — a more efficient fan blade — on the engines of our Boeing 777 fleet, reducing fuel consumption on our longest-range aircraft.
None of these important projects could have been completed without the constant dedication and ingenuity of my co-workers. With that in mind, I’d like to recognize Houston Hobby Maintenance Technician Eldon Criswell, a state biking champion. You can read more about Eldon here.
On behalf of Eldon and all my more than 45,000 co-workers, thanks very much for choosing Continental for your business today. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Larry Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines
* per mainline revenue passenger mile flown
