Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced it was rated the most admired U.S. airline on FORTUNE magazine’s 2007 list of America’s Most Admired Companies.
The list and related stories appear in the March 19 issue, on newsstands March 12, and at www.fortune.com .
Continental ranked No. 1 in seven of the eight categories measured to determine the most admired airlines, including quality of products and services, people management, quality of management, long-term investment, innovation, social responsibility, and use of corporate assets.
Of the FORTUNE 1,000 — the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue — a total of 616 companies in 68 industries were surveyed. Cross-industry rankings placed Continental as the eighth most admired company for quality of management following Procter & Gamble, Kinder Morgan, General Electric, Exxon Mobil and FedEx.
Continental also placed tenth as the most admired company for quality of products in a list that included FedEx, Walt Disney, Apple, Whole Foods and United Parcel Service.
„My co-workers at Continental have remained focused on the key things that matter to our customers. I am proud to be on their team,“ said Larry Kellner, chairman and CEO. „We will continue to work hard to meet the high expectations that people have for us as America’s Most Admired Airline.“
The rankings are determined in a survey of industry analysts, boards of directors, and corporate and airline executives.
Southwest Airlines was ranked second on the most admired airlines list, followed by JetBlue Airways, Alaska Air Group, AMR, SkyWest, US Airways Group, UAL, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
1. Continental Airlines
2. Southwest Airlines
3. JetBlue Airways
4. Alaska Air Group
5. AMR
6. SkyWest
7. US Airways Group
8. UAL
9. Northwest Airlines
10. Delta Air Lines
Earlier this year, Continental was named „Best Airline“ in LATIN TRADE magazine’s „Best of Latin America“ readers‘ choice poll for 2007.
Continental Airlines is the world’s fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 150 domestic and 136 international destinations. More than 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 44,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.
In 2006, Continental Airlines won its sixth J.D. Power and Associates award since 1996. The carrier received the highest rank in customer satisfaction among network carriers in North America in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Airline Satisfaction Index Survey(SM). For the third consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline on its 2006 list of Most Admired Global Companies. Continental was also named the No. 1 airline on the publication’s 2007 America’s Most Admired airline industry list. Additionally, Continental again won major awards at the OAG Airline of the Year Awards including „Best Airline Based in North America“ for the third year in a row, and „Best Executive/Business Class“ for the fourth consecutive year. For more company information, visit continental.com.