CONTINENTAL Airlines is to launch a daily service to Cleveland from June 30 after finally securing viable Gatwick slots.
The carrier originally wanted to start the flight to its third-largest US hub two years ago, but a combination of lack of Gatwick slots and Cleveland connections forced it to postpone the launch.
Only last month, Continental president and chief operating officer Greg Brenneman told Travel Weekly he thought a summer 1999 launch was unlikely (Travel Weekly February 17).
However, intense lobbying of Gatwick and the UK Government has resulted in slots being found for Continental.
Flights depart Gatwick at 10.55am and return daily at 5.55am.
The carrier is starting cautiously on the route, using a B757 seating 16 passengers in BusinessFirst and 156 in economy, instead of its usual larger B777s andDC-10s.
General manager UK and Ireland Mike Carter said the first non-stop service from Gatwick to Cleveland should appeal to both business and leisure passengers.