Continental Named Airline of the Year.

Business Editors, Travel & Airline Writers

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2001

Air Transport World Magazine, the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry, selected Houston-based Continental Airlines as its Airline of the Year for 2001. The editors praised Continental for excelling in every aspect of the airline business.

ATW Editor-in-Chief J.A. Donoghue stated: "Continental has remained strongly profitable while growing at double-digit rates, offering customers a level of service that attracts the high-yield passenger." This is the second time in five years that Continental has garnered the top award.

Other award winners include Lufthansa CityLine of Cologne, Germany, which was selected as ATW's Regional Airline of the Year. "CityLine has brought the power of Lufthansa's global network to cities across Europe while offering superior customer service and operational performance," the magazine said.

Asiana Airlines of Seoul, Korea, received the Passenger Service Award. In selecting Asiana, ATW's editors recognized the homogeneity of hardware and procedures that make up much of the service experience. Asiana, however, focuses on staff attitude., "demonstrated by the often-intangible qualities of individual personality and sense of responsibility that reflect innate pride and professional excellence."

Jet Airways (India), the eight-year-old Indian carrier, received ATW's Market Development Award. For fulfilling its mission statement: "To upgrade the concept of domestic airline travel to that of a world-class airlines," achieving business success as a result.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines becomes the first Russian carrier to gain ATW recognition, winning the Cargo Development Award for creating a new market in the carriage of super-large and super heavy cargoes. Using the unique capabilities of its 10 Antonov An-124 freighters, Volga-Dnepr has helped reshape the definition of what can be moved by air.

The Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award is being presented to Anthony J. Broderick, in recognition his contributions to air safety regulation worldwide, both during his tenure as FAA associate administrator for regulation and certification, and afterwards as private citizen and consultant. This award is newly renamed this year after ATW's founder, Joseph S. Murphy, who passed away last year.

The awards will be presented in Washington, D.C. at Air Transport World's Gala Awards Dinner on Monday, February 5, at the Capital Hilton.

(Air Transport World is the leading monthly trade magazine serving the airline and commercial aircraft manufacturing industries. Published by Penton Media, Inc. (NYSE:PME), of Cleveland, Ohio, it is read by more than 330,000 professionals around the world involved in all facets of the airline industry. The magazine began its annual awards program in 1974 to recognize excellence in the airline and commercial aerospace industries.)