Continental Airlines announced that it will launch daily nonstop flights between its New York area hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and Shanghai, China and through flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai beginning March 25, 2009, subject to government approval. Effective today, the airline has made seat inventory available for sale in preparation for the start of service less than eight months from now.

Continental has operated nonstop service between New York and Beijing since 2005 and between New York and Hong Kong since 2001.

The new service will provide daily nonstop flights to the largest U.S.-China market that today lacks daily service, linking the world's financial center and top business and tourism destination with China's center for finance and trade.

"We are excited about extending our China route network to include nonstop service to Shanghai," said Jim Compton, Continental's executive vice president marketing. "Shanghai is the largest Pacific market currently not served by Continental and offers significant opportunities for growth in the future."

The flight will be timed to provide convenient roundtrip connections at Continental's New York hub to more than 60 other cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Continental will operate the nonstop flight daily with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Flight 87 will depart Liberty at 11:20 a.m., arriving in Shanghai mid-afternoon the following day at 1:45 p.m. The return flight 86 will depart Shanghai in the afternoon at 3:45 p.m. and arrive at Liberty in the evening of the same day at 6:20 p.m. Flying times will be approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes in each direction.