Continental Lite
{{Short description|Defunct low-cost airline of the United States (1993–1995)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Continental Lite
| logo =
| logo_size =
| image = McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Continental Airlines Lite AN0207929.jpg
| caption = A DC-9-32 in Continental Lite livery
| alt =
| IATA = CO
| ICAO = COA
| callsign = CONTINENTAL
| founded = {{start date|1993||}}
| commenced =
| ceased = {{end date|1995||}}
{{small|(re-integrated into Continental Airlines)}}
| aoc =
| bases =
| hubs = {{ubl|class=nowrap
| Greensboro}}
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer = OnePass
| lounge =
| alliance = {{nowrap|Wings Alliance {{small|(affiliate)}}}}
| subsidiaries =
| fleet_size =
| destinations =
| company_slogan =
| parent = {{nowrap|Continental Airlines}}
| headquarters =
| key_people = Gordon Bethune
| website =
}}
Continental Lite was a short-lived subsidiary brand of Continental Airlines established in 1993. The airline folded in 1995 after losing what has been reported in the press as between $140 million{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/14/business/company-reports-continental-is-dropping-lite-service.html|title=COMPANY REPORTS; Continental Is Dropping 'Lite' Service|first=Adam|last=Bryant|date=14 April 1995|publisher=|via=NYTimes.com}} and $300 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985949-4,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903124726/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985949-4,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2010|title=FLYING INTO TROUBLE|first=S. C.|last=Gwynne|date=24 February 1997|publisher=|via=www.time.com}}
History
Continental Lite was developed by Continental Airlines to counter the rise of low-cost start up carriers. This despite the fact that Continental had some of the lowest costs in the airline industry due to many of the trade labor unions agreements being tossed out during Frank Lorenzo's reign with Continental through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1153/is_n10_v118/ai_17949202/|title=FindArticles.com - CBSi|website=findarticles.com}}
The airline was originally informally known as CALite within Continental; the "Continental Lite" name was formally adopted in 1994.{{Cite web|last=Jackson|first=Jerry|date=|title=CONTINENTAL EXPANDS IN ORLANDO|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-07-26-9407250441-story.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|language=en-US}}Cooney, Peter. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20121023021339/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4239947.html Low Fares, No-Frills At Continental Lite]." Chicago Sun-Times. July 26, 1994. Retrieved on February 22, 2009. It expanded to serve 45 cities in 1994, primarily on the East Coast, and came to account for a third of Continental's total capacity.{{Cite web|last=Scism|first=Jack|date=|title=CONTINENTAL LITE / AIRLINE'S FATE IS UP IN THE AIR|url=https://greensboro.com/continental-lite-airlines-fate-is-up-in-the-air/article_470eb3eb-cde0-56fa-bf94-a02092f1c4dd.html|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Greensboro News and Record|language=en}} After Gordon Bethune took over as the CEO of Continental in 1994, Continental began to distance itself from the service.{{Cite web|title=Continental Admits Flub, Turns Off Lite Struggling Airline Decides To Halt Ill-Conceived No-Frills Operation {{!}} The Spokesman-Review|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/apr/16/continental-admits-flub-turns-off-lite-struggling/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=www.spokesman.com}}
Continental Lite operated with a dedicated fleet of McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, Boeing 737-200, Boeing 737-300, and Boeing 737-500 aircraft, each repainted with the 'Lite' livery and stripped of its first class cabin. This service was based primarily at Continental's existing hub in Cleveland as well as a new hub established in Greensboro, partly replacing the service of Eastern Airlines in North Carolina.{{cite web|url=http://www.greensboro.com/continental-lite-airline-s-fate-is-up-in-the-air/article_470eb3eb-cde0-56fa-bf94-a02092f1c4dd.html|title=CONTINENTAL LITE / AIRLINE'S FATE IS UP IN THE AIR|first=JACK SCISM Staff|last=Writer|publisher=}} The Greensboro hub had 83 daily flights at its peak in late 1994, and Continental had planned a gate expansion at the airport.
See also
References
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{{Portal bar|Companies|Aviation}}
{{United Continental Holdings}}
Category:Defunct airlines of the United States