Airlines Declare Open Season on 'Open Skies'

Continental(CAL Quote) moved quickly Thursday to test whether the open skies across the Atlantic are really going to be open.

A key component of the open skies agreement, approved Thursday by all 27 members of the European Commission, says access to London's Heathrow Airport will increase. So Continental filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin Houston-Heathrow service.

The carrier said it wants to begin Heathrow flights before summer 2008 and to retain its flights to London Gatwick from its hubs in Cleveland, Houston and Newark. "The open skies agreement will allow us to give our customers the convenience of choosing between Heathrow and Gatwick for their London travel plans," said CEO Larry Kellner, in a prepared statement. ...