Kralendijk, Bonaire - (December 21, 2006) - On December 16, 2006 Continental Airlines' second non-stop flight from the U.S. to Bonaire took off from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. On the flight was Harlton "Onnie" Emerenciana, Bonaire's Commissioner of Tourism, who hosted a number of festivities at the gate at Newark Liberty International Airport and joined passengers on the inaugural flight. Upon arriving into Bonaire the flight was greeted with a ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches by local dignitaries including Ramonsito Booi, Vice President of the Senate of the Netherlands Antilles and Burney el Hage, Bonaire's Minister of Economic and Labor Affairs.

Continental's scheduled round-trip air service departs Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturdays at 11:55 p.m., arriving in Bonaire on Sundays at 5:40 a.m. (flight #1553). The return flight #1556 departs Bonaire on Sundays at 7:00 a.m., arriving into Newark at 10:45 a.m. After Daylight Savings Time begins in spring 2007 the flight will arrive in Bonaire on Saturdays at 4:40 a.m. and depart the island on Sundays at 6:00 a.m. (arrival and departures times from Newark will remain the same). For this flight Continental Airlines is using a Boeing 737-700 airplane with 124 seats including 12 first class and 112 coach class seats.

"This service gives visitors from our most important geographic market, the Northeast U.S., a much needed non-stop flight option and augments the growing array of flight options available to travelers from around the country," said Ronella Croes, Director of the Tourism Corporation Bonaire. "The flight is also scheduled to give passengers ample time to connect to other flights, and for those whose final destination is the New York Tri-State Area they will arrive home early enough in the day with time to relax, unpack and enjoy the afternoon.

Continental Airlines serves 77 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean and is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,200 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 151 domestic and 136 international destinations. More than 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 44,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 61 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.

Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing and deep sea and bone fishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.

The U.S. State Department and the Department Homeland Security recently announced the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will take effect on January 23, 2007, will require all U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, to carry a passport or other accepted secure documents to enter or re-enter the U.S. from vacations or business travel anywhere in the Caribbean, including Bonaire. This requirement will apply to all air and sea travel.

For more information on Bonaire, contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE.