Carnival Air Lines selects Cape Coral site for new reservations center.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 23, 1996--Carnival Air Lines, a leader in low-fare air transportation, announced Tuesday it has selected Cape Coral, Fla., as the site of its new international reservations center.

The company plans to open the new site in July and hire more than 100 employees by the start of the busy winter season.

Carnival Air Lines' existing reservations center at its Fort Lauderdale headquarters, which employs more than 250, will remain open and not be effected.

The new center will be located in Cay West Pavilion near the intersection of Cape Coral Parkway and Chiquita Boulevard. It will handle calls from throughout the United States and the world. Additionally, it will provide recovery capabilities in the event of an unforeseen business interruption, such as a power failure or a natural disaster, at any of the company's other communication centers.

The Lee County Office of Economic Development and Cape Coral Economic Development Office assisted Carnival Air Lines in its site selection and provided financial incentives to lure the company to the area.

"Cape Coral suits our needs perfectly," said Carnival Air Lines Vice President of Industry Affairs Bob Coile. "The site is located in a rapidly growing community, which will allow us to draw from an expanding labor force of talented and experienced employees."

The announcement culminates five months of negotiations between the airline, city and county. According to area officials, the new operation will provide an annual economic benefit to the city and county of $7-11 million.

"Carnival Air Lines is a first-rate company and we're pleased it selected this area for its new operation," said Janet Watermeier, executive director of the Lee County Office of Economic Development. "This is another sign that when companies take a look at Southwest Florida, they see a lot of good things, including an available work force and a business community that is enthusiastic about having their business."

Gary Caldwell, director of Cape Coral's Economic Development Office, said he's excited about the airline's plans for the local reservations center, which will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"They could be up to 300 positions within the next several years," he noted. "Those kind of numbers will really have an impact on our city."

Based in Fort Lauderdale, Carnival Air Lines is the largest scheduled passenger airline headquartered in Florida. Launched in 1988, the carrier operates 25 jets with more than 60 daily scheduled departures between the Northeast, Florida, California and the Caribbean. Last December, the airline launched non-stop seasonal service between Southwest Florida International Airport and Islip, Long Island in New York.

Carnival Air Lines is accepting resumes for reservations positions, which can be mailed to "Reservations," P.O. Box 3013, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33932. No phone calls please.

CONTACT: Carnival Air Lines, Fort Lauderdale

Gabriel Gabor, 954/923-8672, ext. 238