Continental Airlines to launch new flights to Colombia

Continental Airlines is to launch a new daily nonstop service between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Cali, Colombia, on July 15, pending government approval.

Continental will utilize a Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the approximately five-hour flight to Cali, with seating for 12 passengers in First Class and 112 in Coach. The flight will depart Houston at 3:45 p.m., arriving in Cali at 8:45 p.m. The return flight will depart Cali at 9:10 a.m., arriving in Houston at 2:05 p.m.

Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia, is located in a major sugar- and coffee-producing region of the South American nation. With the addition of Cali, Continental will offer nonstop service to 67 destinations in 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Continental also offers daily nonstop service to Bogota, Colombia, from Houston and New York/Newark.

“Latin America continues to be a growth sector for Continental,” said Pete Garcia, Staff Vice President, Latin America. “Our new service will make it much more convenient for Colombians in the U.S. to travel to Cali to visit friends and relatives, and for agricultural, textile and manufacturing interests to do business in the region. Conversely, Colombians will find it easier to do business with Houston petrochemical industries, visit medical facilities, or make fast connections through our new international airport facilities to the rest of the U.S.” 

Census figures put the number of Colombians living in the United States at 500,000; other estimates run as high as 2 million, with Colombians living principally in Florida, New York, New Jersey, and California, as well as sizable numbers in Houston and Chicago.

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