Continental Airlines Ranked No. 1 World’s Most Admired Airline by FORTUNE Magazine

Sixth consecutive year as FORTUNE World’s Most Admired airline

HOUSTON, March 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced that it was again rated the top airline on FORTUNE magazine’s annual airline industry list of World’s Most Admired Companies. This is the sixth consecutive year that Continental has topped that list.

“Continental’s more than 42,000 co-workers are the reason for our success, and I’m proud to see their hard work recognized again this year,� said Continental Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Kellner. “They have shown once again that they are the best team in the airline industry.�

The rankings are determined in a survey of corporate and airline executives, boards of directors and industry analysts. Companies are evaluated according to the following criteria: quality of products/services, global competitiveness, people management, quality of management, social responsibility, innovation, use of corporate assets, financial soundness and long-term investment.

Continental received an overall score of 7.71, followed by Air France-KLM Group (7.15), Southwest Airlines (6.89), Singapore Airlines (6.85), Lufthansa Group (6.57) and Delta Air Lines (6.18).

Additionally, Continental was ranked among the top ten companies for management quality across all industries on the FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies survey.

The results are from the magazine’s March 16, 2009, issue.

Continental Airlines is the world’s fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,800 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 135 domestic and 132 international destinations. More than 650 additional points are served via alliance partners. With more than 42,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For more company information, go to continental.com.