Continental Airlines - The Full History 1934-2012

Continental Airlines was a Texas based airline Headquartered in Houston, Texas that was founded in 1934 by Walter T. Varney as "Varney Speed Lines" Hauling Mail in West Texas. In 1936, Robert F. Six bought the airline and changed the name to Continental. After World War II, Continental began to build up a route network extending from Houston to the West Coast, and began to profit more from passengers, than from mail. By the 1950s and 1960s, Continental had earned a reputation for superior customer service and technical innovation that were second to none.

In 1959, Continental acquired it's first aircraft, the Boeing 707, and the airline gradually began to earn the nickname "Proud bird" or, the "Proud bird with a Golden tail." In 1968, Continental began to operate in the Pacific, under the name "Air Micronesia" with a fleet of Boeing 727 airplanes, based at Guam Agana International Airport.

By the mid 1970s, Continental had one of the strongest Domestic networks in the US, adding both the Boeing 747-100 and Douglas DC-10 to it's fleet between Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Houston. Following Deregulation in 1978, Continental began to experience economic strange due to Fierce competition, eventually acquiring Texas Air International in 1981, and soon after, filed for bankruptcy. After emerging from Bankruptcy, Continental doubled in size after the acquisition and consolidation of Peoplexpress, Frontier Airlines, and New York Air. The addition of Peoplexpress provided Continental with Newark Liberty, gaining a position in the lucrative New York transatlantic market.

In 1990, Continental was forced to file for bankruptcy protection again in 1990, after the breakout of the Persian Gulf War. While working through Chapter 11, Continental unveiled a new identity in 1993, and with the help of a private equity firm, emerged from bankruptcy again in 1994, and began to grow again. In 1995, Gordon Bethune introduced the Go Forward plan, which vitalized the importance of improving the route network and product, assurance of adequate liquidity, providing clean, safe, reliable air transportation, and focusing on the culture of dignity and respect and open, honest communication. As a result, Continental became one of the most globally admired airlines, consistently receiving yearly awards for customer service.

After September 11th, 2001, Continental was quick to return to profitability, and in 2004, joined Skyteam alliance. Rebounding from the air travel crisis that followed 9/11, Continental returned to it's knees in 2008 with the financial crisis and sky high fuel prices. Continental continued to advance the key ideas of the Go Forward plan, by taking delivery of new Boeing airplanes, maintaining an all Boeing mainline fleet. Continental was one of the first airlines to pioneer the addition of Live TV on-board, and Audio/Video on demand, to all of it's fleet, and refining the business first cabin with the addition of the lie 180 degree lie flat seats. Continental's commitment to customer service landed it "The most globally admired airline" by Fortune Magazine's annual airline list of the world's most admired companies 6 years in a row, from 2003, to 2009. In 2009, Continental joined Star Alliance, departing Skyteam, and began to cooperate extensively with United Airlines. Continental was the North American launch customer of the Boeing 787, and offered the most destinations of any of the U.S. carriers to India, Japan, Mexico, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and was the only U.S. airline that flew to the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Norway.

In 2012, Continental Airlines, and United Airlines, announced they would merge together, forming the worlds largest airline at that time. The Continental brand name would cease to exist, while the new United Airlines would retain the Continental logo and livery.


Liveries in order:

1993 Globe Livery
NYC 2000 by Peter Max
Continental Micronesia
Continental Express
1968 Globe Livery
1986 Globe Livery
Peoplexpress Merger Hybrid livery
Frontier Merger Hybrid Livery
Continental's New York Air
New York Air Merger Hybrid Livery
Texas Air International Merger Hybrid Livery
1986 Continental Express
1960 Golden Jet
1944 Blue Skyways

Not pictured due to inability to replicate:
Continental West
Continental Lite

To be added with a proper template:

747 Peoplexpress Merger
747 Meatball 86 with Gulf War Ribbon
DC-6 Blue Skyways
727 PSA Lease Hybrid

Work Hard, Fly Right.
Continental Airlines