Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X No _____

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes X No _____

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $984 million as of June 30, 2003.

__________________

As of January 20, 2004, 66,042,002 shares of Class B common stock were outstanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Continental Airlines, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a major United States air carrier engaged in the business of transporting passengers, cargo and mail. We are the fifth largest United States airline (as measured by the number of scheduled miles flown by revenue passengers, known as revenue passenger miles, in 2003) and, together with ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. (operating as Continental Express and referred to in this Form 10-K as "ExpressJet"), from which we purchase seat capacity, and our wholly owned subsidiary, Continental Micronesia, Inc. ("CMI"), each a Delaware corporation, we served 228 airports worldwide at December 31, 2003. As of December 31, 2003, we flew to 127 domestic and 101 international destinations and offered additional connecting service through alliances with domestic and foreign carriers. We directly served 16 European cities, seven South American cities, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong and Tokyo as of December 31, 2003. In addition, we provide service to more destinations in Mexi co and Central America than any other U.S. airline, serving 31 cities. Through our Guam hub, CMI provides extensive service in the western Pacific, including service to more Japanese cities than any other United States carrier.

General information about us, including our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters for the committees of our board of directors, can be found at www.continental.com/  company/investor. Our board of directors has adopted a code of ethics entitled "Principles of Conduct", which applies to all of our employees, officers and directors. Our board has also adopted a separate "Directors' Code of Ethics" for our directors. Copies of these codes can also be found at www.continental.com/company/investor. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments and exhibits to those reports, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Information on our website is not incorporated into this Form 10-K or our other securities filings and is not a part of them.

This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect our current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For examples of those risks and uncertainties, please see the cautionary statements contained in Item 1. "Business - Risk Factor Relating to Terrorist Attacks and International Hostilities", "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Company" and "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Airline Industry." We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this report.

See Item 1. "Business - Risk Factor Relating to Terrorist Attacks and International Hostilities", "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Company" and "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Airline Industry" and Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Overview" for a discussion of trends and factors affecting us and our industry. Also see Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 18 - Segment Reporting" for financial information about each of our business segments.

As used in this Form 10-K, the terms "Continental", "we", "us", "our" and similar terms refer to Continental Airlines, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Recent Developments

On January 16, 2004, we announced that our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gordon Bethune, has elected to retire effective December 31, 2004 as chairman and chief executive officer and from our board. Larry Kellner, our president and chief operating officer, will succeed Mr. Bethune as chairman and chief executive officer, effective January 1, 2005. We also announced that we will decrease the size of our board of directors from 14 members to 10 members, and that current directors David Bonderman, Pat Foley, Richard Pogue and William Price will not stand for re-election. Our remaining 10 directors, including Mr. Bethune and Mr. Kellner, have been nominated for election at our March 12, 2004 annual meeting.

We operate our domestic route system primarily through our hubs in the New York metropolitan area at Newark Liberty International Airport ("Liberty International"), in Houston, Texas at George Bush Intercontinental Airport ("Bush Intercontinental") and in Cleveland, Ohio at Hopkins International Airport ("Hopkins International"). Our hub system allows us to transport passengers between a large number of destinations with substantially more frequent service than if each route were served directly. The hub system also allows us to add service to a new destination from a large number of cities using only one or a limited number of aircraft. As of December 31, 2003, we operated 67% of the average daily jet departures from Liberty International, 85% of the average daily jet departures from Bush Intercontinental and 66% of the average daily jet departures from Hopkins International (in each case including regional jets flown for us by ExpressJet). Each of our domestic hubs is located in a large busi ness and population center, contributing to a high volume of "origin and destination" traffic.

We directly serve destinations throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as Tel Aviv, Hong Kong and Tokyo. We also provide service to numerous other destinations through codesharing arrangements with other carriers and have extensive operations in the western Pacific conducted by CMI. As measured by 2003 available seat miles, approximately 39% of our mainline operations, including CMI, were dedicated to international traffic.

The following international destinations served through our domestic hubs include regional jet service flown for us by ExpressJet:

Liberty International is a significant international gateway. From Liberty International at December 31, 2003, we served 16 European cities, five Canadian cities, six Mexican cities, six Central American cities, four South American cities, 17 Caribbean destinations, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Bush Intercontinental is the focus of our operations in Mexico and Central America. As of December 31, 2003, we flew from Bush Intercontinental to 23 cities in Mexico, all seven countries in Central America, six cities in South America, four cities in Canada, three cities in Europe, three Caribbean destinations and Tokyo.

From Hopkins International, we flew to Montreal, Toronto, Cancun, Mexico and San Juan, Puerto Rico as of December 31, 2003.

From its hub operations based on the island of Guam, as of December 31, 2003, CMI provided service to seven cities in Japan, more than any other United States carrier, as well as other Pacific rim destinations, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia and Indonesia. CMI is the principal air carrier in the Micronesian Islands, where it pioneered scheduled air service in 1968. CMI's route system is linked to the United States market through Hong Kong, Tokyo and Honolulu, each of which CMI serves non-stop from Guam. CMI and Continental also maintain a codesharing agreement and coordinate schedules on certain flights from the United States to Honolulu, and from Honolulu to Guam, to facilitate travel from the United States into CMI's route system.

See Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 18 - Segment Reporting", for financial information by geographical area.

We have entered into alliance agreements, which are also referred to as codeshare agreements or cooperative marketing agreements, with other carriers. These relationships may include (a) codesharing (one carrier placing its name and flight number, or "code," on flights operated by the other carrier), (b) reciprocal frequent flyer program participation, reciprocal airport lounge access and other joint activities (such as seamless check-in at airports) or (c) block space arrangements (carriers agree to share capacity and bear economic risk for blocks of seats on certain routes). Except for our relationship with ExpressJet, all of our codeshare relationships are free-sell codeshares, where the marketing carrier sells seats on the operating carrier's flights from the operating carrier's inventory, but takes no inventory risk. In contrast, in a block space relationship, the marketing carrier is committed to purchase a set number of seats on the operating carrier, sells seats to the public from this purchased inventory and is at economic risk for the purchased seats that it is unable to sell. Some relationships may include other cooperative undertakings such as joint purchasing, joint corporate sales contracts, airport handling, facilities sharing or joint technology development.

We have a long-term global alliance with Northwest Airlines through 2025, subject to earlier termination by either party in the event of certain changes in control of either Northwest or Continental. Our alliance with Northwest provides for each party to place its code on a large number of the flights of the other party, reciprocity of frequent flyer programs and airport lounge access and other joint marketing activities. As of December 31, 2003, we had placed our code on 205 destinations served by Northwest and Northwest placed its code on 176 destinations served by us. Together with Northwest, we also have joint contracts with major corporations and travel agents designed to create access to a broader product line encompassing the route systems of both carriers.

We also have domestic codesharing agreements with Gulfstream International Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Champlain Enterprises, Inc. (CommutAir), Hyannis Air Service, Inc. (Cape Air) and American Eagle Airlines. We also have the first train-to-plane alliance in the United States with Amtrak.

In addition to our domestic alliances, we seek to develop international alliance relationships that complement our own route system and permit expanded service through our hubs to major international destinations. International alliances assist in the development of our route structure by enabling us to offer more frequencies in a market, provide passengers connecting service from our international flights to other destinations beyond an alliance partner's hub and expand the product line that we may offer in a foreign destination.

We have a marketing agreement with KLM which extends until 2010 that includes codesharing and reciprocal frequent flyer program participation and airport lounge access. As of December 31, 2003, we placed our code on selected flights to more than 68 European, Middle Eastern and African destinations operated by KLM and KLM Cityhopper beyond its Amsterdam hub, and KLM placed its code on more than 70 U.S. and Mexican destinations operated by us beyond our hubs at Liberty International and Bush Intercontinental. In addition, members of each carrier's frequent flyer program are able to earn mileage anywhere on the other's global route network, as well as the global network of Northwest.

We also currently have international codesharing agreements with Air Europa, Emirates (the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates), TAP Air Portugal, EVA Airways Corporation (an airline based in Taiwan), British European ("Flybe"), Virgin Atlantic Airways and Copa Airlines of Panama. We own 49% of the common equity of Copa. We will implement codesharing arrangements with AeroMexico and Maersk Air of Denmark in the first quarter of 2004. We also have a codeshare agreement with French rail operator SNCF.

Effective April 1, 2003, we made adjustments to our codeshare agreement with Virgin Atlantic Airways eliminating our commitment to purchase block space. We continue to codeshare on each other's flights between Liberty International and London and we place our code on other routes flown by Virgin Atlantic between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Regional Operations

Our mainline service at each of our domestic hub cities is coordinated with ExpressJet, which operates new-generation regional jets. Effective January 1, 2001, we entered into a capacity purchase agreement with ExpressJet pursuant to which we currently purchase all of ExpressJet's available seat miles for a negotiated price. The agreement covers all of ExpressJet's existing fleet, as well as 50 Embraer regional jets subject to firm orders. Under the agreement, as amended, ExpressJet has the right through December 31, 2006 to be our sole provider of regional jet service from our hubs. We are responsible for all scheduling, pricing and seat inventories of ExpressJet's flights. Therefore, we are entitled to all revenue associated with those flights and are responsible for all revenue-related expenses, including commissions, reservations, catering and passenger ticket processing expenses. In exchange for ExpressJet's operation of the flights and performance of other obligations under the agreement, we pay ExpressJet based on scheduled block hours (the hours from departure gate to arrival gate) in accordance with a formula designed to provide them with an operating margin of approximately 10% before taking into account variations in some costs and expenses that are generally controllable by ExpressJet. We assume the risk of revenue volatility associated with fares and passenger traffic, price volatility for specified expense items such as fuel and the cost of all distribution and revenue-related costs. The capacity purchase agreement replaced our prior revenue-sharing arrangement.

Under the capacity purchase agreement, we have the right, upon no less than twelve months' notice to ExpressJet, to reduce the number of its aircraft covered by the contract. As of December 31, 2003, we had not given any such notice. Under the agreement, we are entitled to remove capacity under an agreed upon methodology. If we remove aircraft from the terms of the agreement, ExpressJet will have the option to (i) fly the released aircraft for another airline (subject to its ability to obtain facilities, such as gates and slots, and subject to its exclusive arrangement with us that prohibits ExpressJet during the term of the agreement from flying under its or another carrier's code in or out of our hub airports), (ii) fly the aircraft under ExpressJet's own flight designator code subject to its ability to obtain facilities, such as gates and slots, and subject to ExpressJet's exclusive arrangement with us respecting our hubs, or (iii) decline to fly the aircraft and cancel the related subleases wit h us. If ExpressJet does not cancel the aircraft subleases, the interest rate used to calculate the scheduled lease payments will automatically increase by 200 basis points to compensate us for our continued participation in ExpressJet's lease financing arrangements.

The agreement is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010, but allows us to terminate the agreement at any time after December 31, 2006 upon 12 months' notice, or at any time without notice for cause (as defined in the agreement). We may also terminate the agreement at any time upon a material breach by ExpressJet that does not constitute cause and continues for 90 days after notice of such breach, or without notice or opportunity to cure if we determine that there is a material safety concern with ExpressJet's flight operations. We have the option to extend the term of the agreement with 24 months' notice for up to four additional five-year terms through December 31, 2030.

In April 2002, ExpressJet Holdings, Inc. ("Holdings"), our then wholly owned subsidiary and the sole stockholder of ExpressJet, sold 10 million shares of its common stock in an initial public offering and used the net proceeds to repay $147 million of ExpressJet's indebtedness to us. In addition, we sold 20 million of our shares of Holdings common stock in the offering for net proceeds of $300 million. In connection with the offering, our ownership of Holdings fell to 53.1%. Due to the capacity purchase agreement, the initial public offering of Holdings had very little effect on our operations and on ExpressJet's flight operations on our behalf.

During the third quarter of 2003, we sold approximately 9.8 million shares of our Holdings common stock to Holdings, reducing our ownership of Holdings from 53.1% to 44.6%. We also contributed approximately 7.4 million shares of Holdings common stock to our defined benefit pension plan, further reducing our ownership of Holdings to 30.9%. The independent trustee for our defined benefit pension plan subsequently sold a portion of the shares of Holdings that we contributed to the plan. As a result of these sales by the defined benefit pension plan, on November 12, 2003, the combined amount of Holdings common stock owned by us and our defined benefit pension plan fell below 41%, the point at which we no longer consolidated Holdings for financial reporting purposes pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation 46, "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities". Accordingly, we deconsolidated Holdings as of that date.

Effective November 12, 2003, we account for our interest in Holdings using the equity method of accounting set forth in APB Opinion No. 18, "The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock", rather than consolidating Holdings. Under our capacity purchase agreement with Holdings and ExpressJet, we purchase all of ExpressJet's capacity and are responsible for selling all of the seat inventory. As a result, after deconsolidation, we continue to record the related passenger revenue and related expenses, with payments under the capacity purchase agreement reflected as a separate operating expense. The primary effects of deconsolidation of Holdings from our financial statements are a decrease in current assets, primarily due to the elimination of Holdings' cash, an increase in assets resulting from the inclusion of our note receivable from Holdings (previously eliminated in consolidation), a decrease in long-term debt and a decrease in operating income as a result of the exclusion of Hold ings' operating income from our statement of operations. This decrease in operating income is offset by increases in nonoperating income from our equity in Holdings' earnings, provided our ownership interest remains constant. Additionally, after deconsolidation, we no longer record minority interest on either our balance sheet or statement of operations.

We continue to own 16.7 million shares of Holdings common stock with a market value of $251 million as of December 31, 2003. We do not currently intend to remain a stockholder of Holdings over the long term. Subject to market conditions, we expect to sell or otherwise dispose of some or all of our shares of Holdings common stock in the future.

As of December 31, 2003, ExpressJet served 101 destinations in the U.S., 18 cities in Mexico, five cities in Canada and one Caribbean destination. Since December 2002, ExpressJet's fleet has been comprised entirely of regional jets. We believe ExpressJet's regional jet service complements our operations by carrying traffic that connects onto our mainline jets and by allowing more frequent flights to smaller cities than could be provided economically with larger jet aircraft. We believe that ExpressJet's regional jets provide greater comfort and enjoy better customer acceptance than turboprop aircraft. The regional jets also allow ExpressJet to serve certain routes that cannot be served by turboprop aircraft. Additional commuter feed traffic is currently provided to us by other alliance partners, as discussed above.

As with other major domestic hub-and-spoke carriers, most tickets for travel on us are sold by travel agents. Although we generally no longer pay base commissions, we often negotiate compensation to travel agents based on their performance in selling our tickets. Commission expense was 1.8%, 2.7% and 4.3% of passenger revenue in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

We are using the internet to provide services for our customers and to reduce our distribution costs. However, the continuing increase in pricing transparency resulting from use of the internet has enabled customers to obtain the lowest fare on any given route more easily. Our website, continental.com, recorded over $1.0 billion in ticket sales in 2003, an 81% increase over 2002. The site offers customers direct access to information such as schedules, reservations, flight status, frequent flyer account information (including the ability to redeem reward travel), cargo tracking and Continental travel specials. Combined with sales by online travel agents, 28% of our ticket sales were made on the internet during 2003, compared with 22% in 2002.

We, United, American, Delta and Northwest are investors in a travel website, Orbitz, which offers customers access to a wide variety of travel options. Orbitz completed an initial public offering of its shares in December 2003. We sold approximately 28% of our holdings in the offering. Following the offering, we own approximately 9% of Orbitz. We intend to dispose of our remaining holdings in Orbitz, subject to market conditions. To date, 42 U.S. and foreign carriers, including us, have marketing agreements with this web-based travel service. Orbitz provides customers with online access to airline, hotel, car rental and other travel services in addition to internet offers. The site features published fares from most carriers worldwide, presented in a format not biased toward any one airline. In addition, we have marketing agreements with other internet travel service companies such as Hotwire, Travelocity and Expedia. We sold our interest in Hotwire in 2003. Our marketing agreements with Orb itz and Hotwire remain in effect following the 2003 dispositions.

In 2003, we continued to expand our electronic ticketing, or E-Ticket, product. E-Tickets result in lower distribution costs to us while providing us with enhanced customer and revenue information. We recorded over $6.8 billion and $5.1 billion in E-Ticket sales in 2003 and 2002, representing 84% and 67%, respectively, of total sales. We have 779 Continental self-service kiosks at 130 airports throughout our system, including all domestic airports we serve. Continental and America West were the first U.S. airlines to implement interline E-Ticketing allowing customers to use electronic tickets when their itineraries include travel on both carriers. We now have interline E-Ticketing arrangements with 19 air carriers, including Northwest, Delta, American, United, US Airways, Alaska, Aloha, America West, KLM and Copa, as well as some regional affiliates of these airlines. We plan to implement interline E-Ticketing with our other alliance partners and some of the remaining larger U.S. and internationa l carriers. We expect these features to contribute to an increase in E-Ticket usage and to further reduce distribution costs. It is our current intent to eliminate paper tickets by December 31, 2004, subject to market and technological conditions.

In March 2003, we implemented passenger check-in at continental.com for E-Ticket customers in the United States without checked luggage. This service allows customers to obtain a boarding pass from their home or office up to 30 hours prior to departure and to proceed directly to security at the airport, bypassing the ticket counter and saving time. We recently implemented on-line check-in for passengers with baggage, which includes special kiosks at the airport for these passengers to rapidly check their bags.

We maintain our "OnePass" frequent flyer program to encourage repeat travel on our system. OnePass allows passengers to earn mileage credits by flying us and certain other carriers, including Northwest, Delta, Alaska, KLM, Qantas and Copa. We also sell mileage credits to credit card companies, phone companies, other airlines, alliance members, hotels and car rental agencies participating in OnePass.

Due to the structure of the program and our belief that most of the redemption travel would not otherwise be revenue passengers, we believe that displacement of revenue passengers by passengers using flight rewards has historically been small. Revenue passenger miles represented by redemption travel accounted for 7.6% of our total revenue passenger miles in 2003.

In September 2003, we introduced new service features to reward our top customers. "EliteAccess" is offered to OnePass members who hold Elite status, first class and BusinessFirst ticket holders and travelers who qualify as "Elite for the Day." EliteAccess passengers receive preferential treatment in the boarding and baggage claim areas. "Elite for the Day" affords passengers who purchase economy class tickets in certain fare categories the benefits of EliteAccess on the day of travel. We also initiated a guarantee of no middle seat assignment for those passengers using a full-fare, unrestricted ticket.

As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately 37,680 full-time equivalent employees, consisting of approximately 16,710 customer service agents, reservations agents, ramp and other airport personnel, 7,270 flight attendants, 5,850 management and clerical employees, 3,960 pilots, 3,790 mechanics and 100 dispatchers. Approximately 42% of our employees are represented by unions. The following table reflects the principal collective bargaining agreements, and their respective amendable dates, of Continental and CMI:

In December 2002, our mechanics, represented by the Teamsters, ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement. The portion of the agreement relating to wages, pension and benefits became amendable on December 31, 2003. Negotiations commenced with the Teamsters regarding these subjects in December 2003 and are continuing. Work rules and other contract items are established through 2006.

The collective bargaining agreement between us and our dispatchers (who are represented by the TWU) became amendable in October 2003. Negotiations commenced with the TWU in September 2003 and are continuing.

The collective bargaining agreement between us and our pilots (who are represented by ALPA) became amendable in October 2002. After being deferred due to the economic uncertainty following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, negotiations recommenced with ALPA in September 2002 and are continuing.

The collective bargaining agreement between us and our flight attendants (who are represented by the IAM) becomes amendable in October 2004.

We operate under certificates of public convenience and necessity issued by DOT. These certificates may be altered, amended, modified or suspended by DOT if public convenience and necessity so require, or may be revoked for intentional failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a certificate.

Airlines are also regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA"), primarily in the areas of flight operations, maintenance, ground facilities and other technical matters. Pursuant to these regulations, we have established, and the FAA has approved, a maintenance program for each type of aircraft we operate that provides for the ongoing maintenance of our aircraft, ranging from frequent routine inspections to major overhauls.

In November 2001, the President signed into law the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (the "Aviation Security Act"). This law federalized substantially all aspects of civil aviation security, creating a new Transportation Security Administration ("TSA"). Under the Aviation Security Act, substantially all security screeners at airports are now federal employees and significant other elements of airline and airport security are now overseen and performed by federal employees, including federal security managers, federal law enforcement officers, federal air marshals and federal security screeners. Among other matters, the law mandates improved flight deck security, deployment of federal air marshals onboard flights, improved airport perimeter access security, airline crew security training, enhanced security screening of passengers, baggage, cargo, mail, employees and vendors, enhanced training and qualifications of security screening personnel, additional provision of passenger data to U.S. c ustoms and enhanced background checks.

Airports from time to time seek to increase the rates charged to airlines, and the ability of airlines to contest such increases has been restricted by federal legislation, DOT regulations and judicial decisions. Under the Aviation Security Act, funding for airline and airport security is provided in part by a per enplanement ticket tax (passenger security fee) of $2.50, subject to a $5 per one-way trip cap. The Aviation Security Act also allows TSA to assess each airline fees up to the amount spent by that airline on screening services in 2000. Furthermore, because of significantly higher security and other costs incurred by airports since September 11, 2001, many airports are significantly increasing their rates and charges to air carriers, including to us, and may do so again in the future. Most airports we service impose passenger facility charges of up to $4.50 per segment, subject to an $18 per roundtrip cap.

The Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act ("Supplemental Appropriations Act") enacted in April 2003 contained a number of provisions relating to airlines. In May 2003, we received and recognized in earnings $176 million in cash for reimbursement of our proportional share of passenger security and air carrier security fees paid or collected by U.S. air carriers as of the date of enactment of the legislation, together with other items. Additionally, the passenger security fees were not imposed from June 1, 2003 to September 30, 2003. We also received reimbursement for the direct costs associated with installing strengthened flight deck doors and locks. Additionally, aviation war risk insurance provided by the government was extended for one year to August 2004.

The Supplemental Appropriations Act also provided limits on the total compensation of some airlines' two mostly highly compensated executives (including ours) during the 12-month period beginning April 1, 2003. That compensation is limited to the annual salary paid to those officers with respect to fiscal year 2002 (and any violation of this limitation will require us to repay the government most of the $176 million reimbursement described above). We have entered into agreements with our two most highly compensated executives permitting us to reduce their total compensation to comply with the restrictions of the Supplemental Appropriations Act. However, there are limited situations, such as a change in control of the company, the termination of such executives' employment or the retirement or voluntary resignation of the executive during the restricted period, that could result in our being unable to comply with those restrictions and thus being required to repay to the government substantially all of the amount of our reimbursement. We believe that the likelihood of these situations occurring is remote.

The DOT allows local airport authorities to implement procedures designed to abate special noise problems, provided those procedures do not unreasonably interfere with interstate or foreign commerce or the national transportation system. Some airports, including the major airports at Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County (California), Washington National, Denver and San Francisco, have established airport restrictions to limit noise, including restrictions on aircraft types to be used and limits on the number and scheduling of hourly or daily operations. In some instances, these restrictions have caused curtailments in services or increases in operating costs, and could limit our ability to expand our operations at the affected airports. Local authorities at other airports could consider adopting similar noise regulations. Some foreign airports have similar restrictions.

The FAA has designated John F. Kennedy International Airport ("Kennedy") and LaGuardia Airport ("LaGuardia") in New York and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. as "high density traffic airports" and has limited the number of departure and arrival slots at those airports. All slot restrictions at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago were eliminated in July 2002 and slot restrictions at LaGuardia and Kennedy are scheduled to be eliminated by 2007, although the FAA separately has imposed new slot controls at LaGuardia to reduce congestion. The elimination of slot restrictions has had no material impact on us.

The availability of international routes to U.S. carriers is regulated by treaties and related agreements between the United States and foreign governments. The United States typically follows the practice of encouraging foreign governments to accept multiple carrier designation on foreign routes, although certain countries have sought to limit the number of carriers allowed to fly these routes. Certain foreign governments impose limitations on the ability of air carriers to serve a particular city and/or airport within their country from the U.S. Bilateral agreements between the United States and foreign governments often include restrictions on the number of carriers (designations), operations (frequencies), or airports (points) that can be served. When designations are limited, only a certain number of airlines of each country may provide service between the countries. When frequencies are limited, operations are restricted to a certain number of weekly flights (as awarded by the Untied States to the domestic carrier, based on the bilateral limits). When points are limited, only certain airports within a country can be served.

One example of these limits is the bilateral agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. Designations between the United States and Heathrow airport in London are limited to two for each country and since both designations are already taken, we cannot serve London Heathrow, even though we desire to do so. Additionally, the bilateral agreement limits frequencies which would prevent us from expanding our service above a predefined number of weekly frequencies. Finally, even if we received a Heathrow designation, we could not serve it from Houston or Cleveland because of point limits.

For a U.S. carrier to fly to any such international destination, it must first obtain approval from both the U.S. and the foreign country where the destination is located, which is referred to as a "foreign route authority". Route authorities to some international destinations can be sold between carriers, and their value can vary because of limits on accessibility. For those international routes where there is a limit to the number of carriers or frequency of flights (such as Heathrow Airport in London), studies have shown these routes have more value than those without restrictions. To the extent these foreign countries adopt "open skies" policies (meaning all carriers have access to the destination) or otherwise liberalize or eliminate restrictions on international routes, those actions would increase competition and potentially decrease the value of a route. We cannot predict what laws, treaties and regulations relating to international routes will be adopted or their resulting impact on us, b ut the impact could be significant.

Many aspects of airlines' operations are subject to increasingly stringent federal, state and local laws protecting the environment. Future regulatory developments in the U.S. and abroad could adversely affect operations and increase operating costs in the airline industry. Potential future actions that may be taken by the U.S. government, foreign governments, or the International Civil Aviation Organization to limit the emission of greenhouse gases by the aviation sector are unknown at this time, but the adverse impact to us and our industry could be significant.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 involving commercial aircraft adversely affected our financial condition, results of operations and prospects and the airline industry generally. Among the effects we experienced from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were substantial flight disruption costs caused by the FAA-imposed grounding of the U.S. airline industry's fleet, significantly increased security, increased insurance and other costs, substantially higher ticket refunds and significantly decreased traffic. The adverse effects of the terrorist attacks have been mitigated by subsequent increases in traffic, our cost-cutting measures, the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (the "Stabilization Act") and the Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Additional terrorist attacks, even if not made directly on the airline industry, or the fear of such attacks (including elevated national threat warnings or selective cancellation or redirection of flights due to terror threats), could negatively affect us and the airline industry. The war in Iraq last year further decreased demand for air travel during the first half of 2003, especially in transatlantic markets, and additional international hostilities could potentially have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Our financial resources might not be sufficient to absorb the adverse effects of any further terrorist attacks or an increase in post-war unrest in Iraq or other international hostilities involving the United States.

Excluding current year special items, we continue to experience significant losses. Since September 11, 2001, we have incurred significant losses. We would have recorded another significant loss in 2003 if we had not recognized after-tax income totaling $247 million related to special items. (See Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Results of Operations" for a description of the special items.) Passenger revenue per available seat mile for our mainline operations was 11.3% lower for the year ended December 31, 2003 versus 2000 (the last full year before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks), and our overall passenger revenue declined 12.6% during this same period. The revenue decline moderated slightly during 2003. Business traffic, our most profitable source of revenue, and yields are down significantly from historical levels and carriers continue to offer reduced fares to attract passengers, which lowers our pas senger revenue and yields and raises our break-even load factor.

We cannot predict when or if business traffic or yields will increase. Further, we cannot predict the long-term impact of any changes in fare structures, most importantly in relation to business fares, booking patterns, low-cost competitor growth, increased usage of regional jets, customers' direct booking on the internet, competitor bankruptcies and other changes in industry structure and conduct, but any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

Our high leverage may affect our ability to satisfy our significant financing needs or meet our obligations. As is the case with our principal competitors, we have a high proportion of debt compared to our equity capital. As of December 31, 2003, we had approximately $6.0 billion (including current maturities) of long-term debt and capital lease obligations, $792 million of stockholders' equity and $1.6 billion in consolidated cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments (of which $170 million is restricted cash). Our long-term debt and capital lease obligations coming due in 2004 total approximately $397 million and $25 million, respectively. We also have significant operating leases and facility rental costs. For the year ended December 31, 2003, annual aircraft and facility rental expense under operating leases approximated $1.3 billion.

In addition, we have substantial commitments for capital expenditures, including for the acquisition of new aircraft. For example, as of December 31, 2003, we had firm commitments for 63 aircraft from Boeing, with an estimated cost of approximately $2.4 billion and options to purchase an additional 84 Boeing aircraft. We expect to take delivery of a total of 16 Boeing aircraft in 2004, seven Boeing aircraft in 2005 and none in 2006 and 2007, with delivery of the remaining 40 aircraft occurring in 2008 and 2009. We currently have agreements for the financing of 11 of the aircraft to be delivered in 2004. We can provide no assurance that sufficient financing will be available for the aircraft on order or other related capital expenditures. For a further discussion of our capital expenditure commitments and the financing of new aircraft, see Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

We have a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all of our employees. We contributed $272 million in cash and approximately 7.4 million shares of Holdings common stock valued at approximately $100 million to our primary defined benefit pension plan in 2003. As a result, our 2004 minimum funding requirements are not expected to be significant. However, we currently intend to maintain the plan's funding at 90% of its current liability, which would result in our making contributions of approximately $300 million in 2004. For a further discussion of our contributions to the defined benefit pension plan, see Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

Additional financing will be needed to satisfy our capital commitments. We cannot predict whether sufficient financing will be available. On several occasions subsequent to September 11, 2001, Moody's Investors Service and Standard and Poor's both downgraded the credit ratings of a number of major airlines, including us. Additional downgrades to our credit ratings were made in March and April 2003 and further downgrades are possible. As of December 31, 2003, our senior unsecured debt was rated Caa2 by Moody's and CCC+ by Standard and Poor's. Reductions in our credit ratings have increased the interest we pay on new issuances of debt and may increase the cost and reduce the availability of financing to us in the future. We do not have any debt obligations that would be accelerated as a result of a credit rating downgrade. However, we would have to post additional collateral under our credit card processing agreement if our debt rating falls below Caa3 as rated by Moody's or CCC- as rated by Stan dard and Poor's.

Significant changes or extended periods of high fuel costs or fuel supply disruptions would materially affect our operating results. Fuel costs, which are currently at historically high levels, constitute a significant portion of our operating expense. Fuel costs represented approximately 14.5% of our operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2003 and 11.7% of our operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2002. Based on gallons consumed in 2003, for every one dollar increase in the price of crude oil, our annual fuel expense would increase by approximately $35 million. This increase changes to approximately $38 million when considering our expected fuel volume increases in 2004.

Fuel prices and supplies are influenced significantly by international political and economic circumstances, such as the political crises in Venezuela and Nigeria in late 2002 and early 2003 and post-war unrest in Iraq, as well as OPEC production curtailments, a disruption of oil imports, other conflicts in the Middle East, environmental concerns, weather and other unpredictable events. These or other factors could result in higher fuel prices or a reduction of our scheduled airline service.

From time to time we enter into petroleum swap contracts, petroleum call option contracts and/or jet fuel purchase commitments to provide some short-term protection (generally three to six months) against a sharp increase in jet fuel prices. Depending upon the hedging method employed, our strategy may limit our ability to benefit from declines in fuel prices. As of December 31, 2003, we did not have any fuel hedges in place.

We are also at risk for ExpressJet's fuel costs in excess of a negotiated cap. Under our capacity purchase agreement and a related fuel purchase agreement with ExpressJet, ExpressJet's fuel costs were capped at 66.0 cents per gallon in 2003 and will remain capped at this level in 2004.

Increased labor costs or labor disruptions could impact our results of operations. Labor costs constitute a significant percentage of our total operating costs. In 2003, labor costs (including employee incentives) constituted 35.3% of our total operating expenses. Labor costs include the impact of consolidating the results of ExpressJet through November 12, 2003.

Many of our work groups are represented by unions. Our mechanics, represented by the Teamsters, ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement in December 2002 that made an adjustment to current pay and recognized current industry conditions. The agreement became amendable with respect to wages, pension and health insurance provisions on December 31, 2003. Negotiations commenced with the Teamsters regarding these subjects in December 2003 and are continuing. Work rules and other contractual items are established through 2006. The collective bargaining agreement between us and our dispatchers (who are represented by the TWU) became amendable in October 2003. Negotiations commenced with the TWU in September 2003 and are continuing. The collective bargaining agreement between us and our pilots (who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association) became amendable in October 2002. After being deferred due to the economic uncertainty following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, negotiations recommenced in September 2002 and are continuing.

ExpressJet is also currently engaged in labor negotiations with its pilots and mechanics. ExpressJet and its unions have requested the assistance of federal mediators in the negotiations. A labor disruption by either group resulting in a prolonged significant reduction in their flights could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Although we may incur increased labor costs in connection with the negotiation of the pilot collective bargaining agreement, the significant labor cost reductions associated with recent major hub-and-spoke carrier bankruptcies, and labor cost reductions negotiated or requested by competitors outside of bankruptcy, significantly reduce the differences in pilot pay rates, including ours, among the major hub-and-spoke carriers. US Airways and United have significantly decreased their labor costs during their bankruptcy cases. During 2003, American Airlines agreed with its major labor groups on significant labor cost reductions. Delta and Northwest have each announced that they are seeking to decrease their labor costs significantly. Although we enjoy generally good relations with our employees, we can provide no assurance that we will not experience labor disruptions in the future. Any disruptions which result in a prolonged significant reduction in flights could have a material adverse impact on ou r results of operations and financial condition.

Our net operating loss carryforwards may be limited. At December 31, 2003, we had estimated net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs") of $3.0 billion for federal income tax purposes that will expire through 2023. Due to a change in our ownership on April 27, 1993, the ultimate utilization of our NOLs generated prior to the ownership change may be limited. If we were to have a change of ownership under current conditions, our annual NOL utilization could be limited to approximately $51 million per year, before consideration of any built-in gains. For a further discussion of the uses of our NOLs, see Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. of this report.

The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") is in the process of examining our income tax returns for years through 1999 and has indicated that it may disallow certain deductions we claimed, which generated our NOL carryforwards. In addition, the IRS has begun an examination of our income tax returns for the years 2000 and 2001. We believe the ultimate resolution of these audits will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.

Continental Micronesia's dependence on the Japanese economy may result in currency risk. Because the majority of CMI's traffic originates in Japan, its results of operations are substantially affected by the Japanese economy and changes in the value of the yen as compared to the U.S. dollar. To reduce the potential negative impact on CMI's earnings associated with fluctuations in currency, we have entered into option and forward contracts as a hedge against a portion of our expected net yen cash flow position. As of December 31, 2003, we had entered into option and forward contracts to hedge 61% of the projected yen-denominated net cash flows for 2004 at a weighted average rate of 111 yen to $1 US. CMI's operating revenue was approximately 4% of consolidated operating revenue in 2003.

The airline industry is highly competitive and susceptible to price discounting. Carriers use discount fares to stimulate traffic during periods of slack demand, to generate cash flow and to increase market share. Some of our competitors have substantially greater financial resources or lower cost structures than we do, or both. In recent years, the market share held by low cost carriers has increased significantly and is expected to continue to increase.

Airline profit levels are highly sensitive to changes in fuel costs, fare levels and passenger demand. Passenger demand and fare levels are influenced by, among other things, the state of the global economy, domestic and international events, airline capacity and pricing actions taken by carriers. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the weak economy, turbulent international events (including the war in Iraq), high fuel prices and extensive price discounting by carriers have resulted in dramatic losses for us and the airline industry generally. We cannot predict when or if conditions will improve. US Airways, United and several small competitors have filed for bankruptcy protection, although US Airways emerged from bankruptcy on March 31, 2003. Other carriers could file for bankruptcy or threaten to do so to reduce their costs. Carriers operating under bankruptcy protection can operate in a manner that would be adverse to us and could emerge from bankruptcy as more vigorous competitors with substantially lower costs.

Since its deregulation in 1978, the U.S. airline industry has undergone substantial consolidation, and it may in the future experience additional consolidation. We routinely monitor changes in the competitive landscape and engage in analysis and discussions regarding our strategic position, including alliances, asset acquisitions and business combination transactions. We have had, and expect to continue to have, discussions with third parties regarding strategic alternatives. The impact of any consolidation within the U.S. airline industry cannot be predicted at this time.

Additional security requirements may increase our costs and decrease our traffic. Since September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") and TSA have implemented numerous security measures that affect airline operations and costs, and are likely to implement additional measures in the future. Most recently, DHS has begun to implement US VISIT (a program of fingerprinting and photographing foreign visa holders), has announced that it will implement CAPPS II (use of passenger data for evaluating security measures to be taken with respect to individual passengers), has expanded the use of federal air marshals on our flights (thus displacing additional revenue passengers), has begun investigating requiring installation of aircraft security systems (such as active devices on commercial aircraft as countermeasures against portable surface to air missiles) and has expanded cargo and baggage screening. DHS has also required certain flights to be cancelled on short notice for se curity reasons, and has required certain airports to remain at higher security levels than other locations.

In addition, foreign governments have also begun to institute additional security measures at foreign airports we serve, out of their own security concerns, or in response to U.S.-imposed security measures.

A large part of the costs of these security measures is borne by the airlines and their passengers, and we believe that these and other security measures have the effect of increasing the hassle of air transportation and thus decreasing traffic. Current and future security measures imposed by the U.S. and foreign governments increase our costs and may adversely affect us and our financial results.

Extensive government regulation could increase our operating costs and restrict our ability to conduct our business. As evidenced by the enactment of the Aviation Security Act, airlines are subject to extensive regulatory and legal compliance requirements that result in significant costs. Additional laws, regulations, taxes and airport rates and charges have been proposed from time to time that could significantly increase the cost of airline operations or reduce revenue. The FAA from time to time issues directives and other regulations relating to the maintenance and operation of aircraft that require significant expenditures. Some FAA requirements cover, among other things, retirement of older aircraft, security measures, collision avoidance systems, airborne windshear avoidance systems, noise abatement and other environmental concerns, commuter aircraft safety and increased inspections and maintenance procedures to be conducted on older aircraft. We expect to continue incurring e xpenses to comply with the FAA's regulations.

Many aspects of airlines' operations are also subject to increasingly stringent federal, state and local laws protecting the environment. Future regulatory developments in the U.S. and abroad could adversely affect operations and increase operating costs in the airline industry. For example, potential future actions that may be taken by the U.S. government, foreign governments, or the International Civil Aviation Organization to limit the emission of greenhouse gases by the aviation sector are unknown at this time, but the adverse impact to us and our industry could be significant.

Additionally, because of significantly higher security and other costs incurred by airports since September 11, 2001, many airports have significantly increased their rates and charges to air carriers, including to us, and may do so again in the future. Restrictions on the ownership and transfer of airline routes and takeoff and landing slots have also been proposed. See "Industry Regulation and Airport Access" above. The ability of U.S. carriers to operate international routes is subject to change because the applicable arrangements between the United States and foreign governments may be amended from time to time, or because appropriate slots or facilities are not made available. We cannot provide assurance that current laws and regulations, or laws or regulations enacted in the future, will not adversely affect us.

Our results of operations fluctuate due to seasonality and other factors associated with the airline industry. Due to greater demand for air travel during the summer months, revenue in the airline industry in the second and third quarters of the year is generally stronger than revenue in the first and fourth quarters of the year for most U.S. air carriers. Our results of operations generally reflect this seasonality, but have also been impacted by numerous other factors that are not necessarily seasonal, including excise and similar taxes, weather, air traffic control delays and general economic conditions, as well as the other factors discussed above. As a result, our operating results for a quarterly period are not necessarily indicative of operating results for an entire year, and historical operating results are not necessarily indicative of future operating results.

As shown in the following table, our operating aircraft fleet consisted of 355 mainline jets and 224 regional jets at December 31, 2003, excluding aircraft out of service. The regional jets are leased by ExpressJet from us and are operated by ExpressJet. Our purchase commitments (firm orders) for aircraft, as well as options to purchase additional aircraft as of December 31, 2003 are also shown below.

As of December 31, 2003, we had the following mainline aircraft out of service:

The 11 owned out-of-service mainline aircraft are being carried at an aggregate fair market value of $22 million. As of December 31, 2003, we subleased two of the leased out-of-service mainline aircraft to third parties and we are currently exploring sublease or sale opportunities for the remaining out-of-service aircraft that do not have near-term lease expirations. The timing of any disposition of these aircraft is dependent upon the stabilization of the economic environment in the airline industry as well as our ability to find purchasers or sublessees for the aircraft, which is limited in part because of a large surplus of similar aircraft available in the market. We cannot predict when or if such stabilization will occur or if purchasers or sublessees can be found, and it is possible that our assets could suffer additional impairment.

Additionally, we have 18 Embraer 120 turboprop aircraft and 22 ATR 42 turboprop aircraft out of service. We lease 32 and own eight of these aircraft. The eight owned aircraft are being carried at an aggregate fair value of $11 million. We currently sublease five of the leased out-of-service turboprop aircraft to third parties and are exploring sublease or sale opportunities for the remaining out-of-service aircraft that do not have near-term lease expirations, subject to the same uncertainties as the out-of-service mainline aircraft discussed above.

In July 2003, we announced plans to remove all remaining MD-80 aircraft from service by January 2005. In December 2003, five previously grounded leased MD-80 aircraft were determined to be permanently grounded and we recorded a charge of $21 million ($13 million after income taxes) associated with future obligations for rent and return conditions, net of estimated sublease income, on those aircraft. We will record similar charges as the remaining 17 leased MD-80 aircraft exit revenue service and are permanently grounded.

During 2003, we put into service four new Boeing 737-800 aircraft and reinstated one 737-300 aircraft. We removed from service six MD-80 aircraft, two 737-500 aircraft and eight 737-300 aircraft in 2003, primarily in conjunction with the expiration of their lease terms.

During the second quarter of 2003, we agreed with The Boeing Company ("Boeing") to defer firm deliveries of 36 Boeing 737 aircraft that were originally scheduled for delivery in 2005, 2006 and 2007. These aircraft will now be delivered in 2008 and beyond. In connection with the deferrals, we recorded a second quarter special charge of $14 million ($8 million after income taxes). During the fourth quarter of 2003, we agreed with Boeing to substitute six 737-800 aircraft, to be delivered in the second half of 2005, for the final six 757-300 aircraft, originally scheduled for delivery in late 2004 and the first half of 2005. Additionally, we eliminated all remaining 757-300 and 767-200ER options, reduced our 777-200ER option count from three to one and increased our 737 option positions by 12. As a result of these agreements with Boeing, we expect to take delivery of a total of 16 Boeing aircraft in 2004 (including five 757-300s), seven Boeing aircraft in 2005 and none in 2006 and 2007, with deliver y of the remaining 40 aircraft occurring in 2008 and 2009.

During 2003, ExpressJet took delivery of 36 ERJ-145XR aircraft. ExpressJet currently anticipates taking delivery of 21 Embraer regional jet aircraft in 2004, 21 in 2005 and 8 in 2006.

Substantially all of the aircraft and engines we own are subject to mortgages. Substantially all of our spare parts inventory related to our core Boeing fleet is also encumbered.

See Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources" for a discussion of our firm orders for new aircraft and related financing arrangements.

Our principal facilities are Newark Liberty International, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Cleveland Hopkins International and A.B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam. Substantially all of these facilities and many of our other facilities are leased on a long-term, net-rental basis, and we are responsible for maintenance, taxes, insurance and other facility-related expenses and services. At each of our three domestic hub cities and most other locations, our passenger and baggage handling space is leased directly from the airport authority on varying terms dependent on prevailing practice at each airport. We also maintain administrative offices, terminal, catering, cargo and other airport facilities, training facilities, maintenance facilities and other facilities related to the airline business in the cities we serve.

We have entered into agreements with the cities of Houston, Texas and Cleveland, Ohio, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The New York City Industrial Development Agency, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the Regional Airports Improvement Corporation (in Los Angeles) and the Harris County (Houston) Industrial Development Corporation to provide funds for constructing, improving and modifying facilities that have been or will be leased to us and for acquiring related equipment. In connection with those agreements, we have unconditionally guaranteed the principal and interest on tax-exempt bonds issued by these entities with a current outstanding balance of approximately $1.6 billion (excluding the City of Houston bonds and including the US Airways contingent liability, both discussed below) and entered into long-term leases with the respective authorities under which rental payments will be sufficient to service the related bonds. The l eases generally have terms ranging from 20 to 30 years.

In August 2001, the City of Houston completed the offering of $324 million aggregate principal amount of tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds to finance the construction of Terminal E and a new international ticketing hall facility at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Upon completion of the entire project, Terminal E will contain 23 gates capable of both domestic and international operations. We began using seven gates for domestic operations in June 2003 and placed the remaining gates into service in early January 2004. The final phase of the Terminal E project, the international ticketing hall facility, is projected to be substantially completed in the spring of 2005, at which time the City of Houston is also expected to complete a new federal customs and immigration facility, enabling both domestic and international use of the entire Terminal E concourse.

In connection with the Terminal E project, we entered into a long-term lease with the City of Houston requiring that upon completion of construction, with limited exceptions, we will make rental payments sufficient to service the related tax-exempt bonds through their maturity in 2029. Approximately $222 million of the bond proceeds had been expended as of December 31, 2003. During the construction period, we retain certain risks related to our own actions or inactions while managing portions of the construction. Potential obligations associated with these risks are generally limited based upon certain percentages of construction costs incurred to date.

We have also entered into a binding corporate guaranty with the bond trustee for the repayment of the principal and interest on the bonds that becomes partially effective (based on a pro rata share of bond proceeds) upon the completion of construction of the terminal or of the international ticketing hall facility. The corporate guaranty would also become effective if we fail to comply with the lease agreement (which is within our control), or if we terminate the lease agreement. Further, we have not assumed any condemnation risk, any casualty event risk (unless caused by us), or risk related to certain cost overruns (and in the case of cost overruns, our liability for the project would be limited to 89.9% of the capitalized costs) during the construction period of each respective phase. Accordingly, we are not considered the owner of the project for financial reporting purposes and, therefore, have not capitalized the construction costs or recorded the debt obligation in our consolidated financial sta tements. However, our potential obligation under the guarantee is for payment of the principal of $324 million and related interest charges, at an annual rate of 6.78%. We expect the guaranty to become effective for a portion of the bonds relating to the terminal, in the amount of $271 million, during the first quarter of 2004. Our lease payments, which are sufficient to service the bonds, are included in the table under "Contractual Obligations" in the "Liquidity and Capital Resources" section of Item 7 of this report.

We remain contingently liable for US Airways' obligations under a lease agreement between US Airways and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey related to the East End Terminal at LaGuardia airport. These obligations include the payment of ground rentals to the Port Authority and the payment of principal and interest on special facilities revenue bonds issued by the Port Authority with an outstanding balance of $174 million at December 31, 2003 and having a final scheduled maturity in 2015. If US Airways defaults on these obligations, we would be required to cure the default, and we would have the right to occupy the terminal after US Airways' interest in the lease had been terminated.

During the period between 1997 and 2001, we reduced or capped the base commissions that we paid to travel agents, and in 2002 we eliminated such base commissions. This was similar to actions also taken by other air carriers. We are now a defendant, along with several other air carriers, in a number of lawsuits brought by travel agencies relating to these base commission reductions and eliminations.

Sarah Futch Hall d/b/a/ Travel Specialists v. United Air Lines, et al. (U.S.D.C. Eastern District of North Carolina). This class action was filed in federal court on June 21, 2000 by a travel agent, on behalf of herself and other similarly situated U.S. travel agents, challenging the reduction and subsequent elimination of travel agent base commissions. The amended complaint alleged an unlawful agreement among the airline defendants to reduce, cap or eliminate commissions in violation of federal antitrust laws during the years 1997 to 2002. The plaintiffs sought compensatory and treble damages, injunctive relief and their attorneys' fees. The class was certified on September 18, 2002. On October 30, 2003, a summary judgment and order was granted in favor of all of the defendants. Plaintiffs filed their appeal to this judgment and order on November 5, 2003.

Several travel agents who opted out of the Hall class action filed similar suits against Continental and other major carriers alleging violations of antitrust laws in eliminating the base commission: Tam Travel, Inc. v. Delta Airlines, Inc., et al. (U.S.D.C., Northern District of California), filed on April 9, 2003; Paula Fausky, et al. v. American Airlines, et al. (U.S.D.C., Northern District of Ohio), filed on May 8, 2003; and Swope Travel Agency, et al. v. Orbitz LLC et al. (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of Texas), filed on June 5, 2003. By order dated November 12, 2003, these actions were transferred and consolidated for pretrial purposes by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to the Northern District of Ohio.

On December 6, 2002, the named plaintiffs in Always Travel, et. al. v. Air Canada, et al., pending in the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, Montreal, filed an amended statement of claim alleging that between 1995 and the present, Continental, the other defendant airlines, and the International Air Transport Association conspired to reduce commissions paid to Canada-based travel agents in violation of the Competition Act of Canada. The plaintiffs seek to certify a nationwide class of travel agents.

In each of the foregoing cases, we believe the plaintiffs' claims are without merit and are vigorously defending the lawsuits. Nevertheless, a final adverse court decision awarding substantial money damages could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

Under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (commonly known as "Superfund") and similar state environment cleanup laws, generators of waste disposed of at designated sites may, under certain circumstances, be subject to joint and several liability for investigation and remediation costs. We (including our predecessors) have been identified as a potentially responsible party at one federal site and one state site that are undergoing or have undergone investigation or remediation. We believe that, although applicable case law is evolving and some cases may be interpreted to the contrary, some or all of any liability claims associated with these sites were discharged by confirmation of our 1993 Plan of Reorganization, principally because our exposure is based on alleged offsite disposal known as of the date of confirmation. Even if any such claims were not discharged, on the basis of currently available information, we believe that our potential liability for our allocable share of the cost to remedy each site (if and to the extent we are found to be liable) is not, in the aggregate, material; however, we have not been designated a "de minimis" contributor at either site.

We are also and may from time to time become involved in other environmental matters, including the investigation and/or remediation of environmental conditions at properties we use or previously used. We could potentially be responsible for environmental remediation costs primarily related to jet fuel and solvent contamination surrounding our aircraft maintenance hangar in Los Angeles. In 2001, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board mandated a field study of the site and it was completed in September 2001. We have established a reserve for estimated costs of environmental remediation at Los Angeles and elsewhere in our system, based primarily on third party environmental studies and estimates as to the extent of the contamination and nature of the required remedial actions. We have evaluated and recorded this accrual for environmental remediation costs separately from any related insurance recovery. We have not recognized any receivables related to insurance recoveries at December 31 , 2003.

We expect our total losses from environmental matters to be $52 million, for which we were fully accrued at December 31, 2003. During 2003, we received insurance settlements totaling $16 million for future environmental claims. Although we believe, based on currently available information, that our reserves for potential environment remediation costs are adequate, reserves could be adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change. However, we do not expect these items to materially impact our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Although we are not currently subject to any environmental cleanup orders imposed by regulatory authorities, we are undertaking voluntary investigation or remediation at certain properties in consultation with such authorities. The full nature and extent of any contamination at these properties and the parties responsible for such contamination have not been determined, but based on currently available information and our current reserves, we do not believe that any environmental liability associated with such properties will have a material adverse effect on us.

Various other claims and lawsuits against us are pending that are of the type generally consistent with our business. We cannot at this time reasonably estimate the possible loss that could be experienced if any of the claims were successful. Many of these claims and lawsuits are covered in whole or in part by insurance. We do not believe that the foregoing matters will have a material adverse effect on us.

Not applicable.

Our common stock (Class B common stock) trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The table below shows the high and low sales prices for our common stock as reported in the consolidated transaction reporting system during 2003 and 2002.

As of January 20, 2004, there were approximately 21,706 holders of record of our common stock.

We have paid no cash dividends on our common stock and have no current intention of doing so. A credit agreement, currently scheduled to mature in July 2004, restricts our ability to pay cash dividends or repurchase capital stock by imposing minimum unrestricted cash requirements on us and limiting the amount of any dividends and repurchases when aggregated with other payments or distributions.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that no shares of capital stock may be voted by or at the direction of persons who are not United States citizens unless the shares are registered on a separate stock record. Our bylaws further provide that no shares will be registered on the separate stock record if the amount so registered would exceed United States foreign ownership restrictions. United States law currently limits the voting power in us (and other U.S. airlines) of persons who are not citizens of the United States to 25%.

Information regarding our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2003 is disclosed in Item 12. "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters."

The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect our current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. For examples of such risks and uncertainties, please see the cautionary statements contained in Item 1. "Business - Risk Factor Relating to Terrorist Attacks and International Hostilities", "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Company" and "Business - Risk Factors Relating to the Airline Industry". We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this report. Hereinafter, the terms "Continental", "we", "us", "our" and similar terms refer to Continental Airlines, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

We recorded consolidated net income of $38 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, as compared to consolidated net losses of $451 million and $95 million for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001. Our results for each of the last three years have been affected by a number of special items which are not necessarily indicative of our core operations or our future prospects, and impact comparability between years. These special items are discussed in "Results of Operations" below. Without the special items in 2003, we would have incurred another significant loss.

Despite recent improvements, the current U.S. domestic airline environment continues to be one of the worst in our history and could deteriorate further. Prior to September 2001, we were profitable, although many U.S. air carriers were losing money and our profitability was declining. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 dramatically worsened the difficult financial environment and presented new and greater challenges for the airline industry. Since the terrorist attacks, several of our competitors, including United Air Lines and US Airways, have filed for bankruptcy. During 2003, our bookings and passenger traffic were significantly reduced as a result of the hostilities and post-war unrest in Iraq and the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or "SARS", in China, Hong Kong, Canada and elsewhere. Both of these events disproportionately affected our international passenger traffic. We responded to the actual and anticipated reduction in demand by reducing capacity on certain tr ans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes (including the suspension of our flights between Hong Kong and Liberty International from April 2003 until August 2003) and by reducing our summer schedule.

Although we have been able to raise capital, downsize our operations and reduce our expenses significantly, current trends in the airline industry, particularly if historically high fuel prices continue, make achieving our goal of reaching breakeven in 2004 unlikely. It is also possible that our financial resources might not be sufficient to absorb the impact of any further terrorist attacks or an increase in post-war unrest in Iraq or other hostilities involving the United States. The revenue environment continues to be weak in light of changing pricing models driven by the continued growth of low-cost carriers, excess capacity in the market, reduced corporate travel spending and other issues. In addition, fuel prices have significantly escalated and, at current levels, are expected to offset a substantial portion of the significant cost-saving measures that we have implemented.

Absent adverse factors outside our control, we believe that our liquidity and access to cash will be sufficient to fund our current operations through 2004 and beyond if we are successful in implementing our previously announced revenue generation and cost cutting measures. However, in light of the changing competitive environment in the airline industry, we believe that the economic environment, including unusually high fuel prices, must improve for us to continue to operate at our current size and expense level over the long term. We may find it necessary to further downsize our operations, including the further elimination of service to small and medium-sized communities and additional job eliminations.

Among the many factors that threaten us and the airline industry generally are the following:

• Low-Cost Competitors. The continued growth of low-cost carriers is dramatically changing the airline industry. Other carriers have implemented or announced plans to implement separate low-cost products, such as a low-cost "airline within an airline". In addition, carriers emerging from bankruptcy have or will have significantly reduced cost structures and operational flexibility that will allow them to compete more effectively, and other carriers have used the threat of bankruptcy to achieve substantial cost savings. We have initiated two sets of revenue-generating and cost-savings initiatives in the past two years that were designed to improve our annual pre-tax results by over $900 million. While we are on track to meet or exceed these goals, our cost structure remains higher than that of the low-cost carriers.
• Fuel Costs. Fuel costs rose significantly during 2003 and are, and could remain, at historically high levels. Post-war unrest in Iraq, other conflicts in the Middle East and political or other significant events in other oil-producing nations could cause fuel prices to increase further (or be sustained at current high levels) and may impact the availability of fuel. Based on gallons consumed in 2003, for every one dollar increase in the price of crude oil, our annual fuel expense would increase by approximately $35 million. This increase changes to approximately $38 million when considering our expected volume increases in 2004. We currently anticipate that high fuel prices in 2004 will offset the impact of a substantial portion of the cost-saving measures we have implemented. As of December 31, 2003, we did not have any fuel price hedges in place.
• Reduced Demand. Demand for air travel has not recovered to the levels experienced prior to September 11, 2001. Although the global and domestic economy has improved in recent months, business traffic, our most profitable source of revenue, and yields are down. We believe that the reduced demand reflects the weak economy, competition from low-cost carriers, some customers' concerns about further terrorist attacks and reprisals and the hostilities and post-war unrest in Iraq. We also believe that demand is weakened by customer dissatisfaction with the delays of heightened airport security and screening procedures, and by some business travelers switching to lower priced ticket categories and to low-cost carriers.
• Labor Costs. We are engaged in labor negotiations with unions representing our pilots, our dispatchers and our mechanics and our agreement with our flight attendants becomes amendable in October 2004. We cannot predict the outcome of these negotiations or the financial impact on us of any new labor contracts. Recent significant concession agreements with labor groups at US Airways, United and American Airlines have had the effect of lowering industry standard wages and benefits, and our negotiations may be influenced by these and other labor cost developments.
• Security Costs. The terrorist attacks of 2001 have caused security costs to increase significantly. Security costs are likely to continue rising for the foreseeable future as additional security measures are implemented. In the current environment of lower consumer demand and discounted pricing, these costs cannot effectively be passed on to customers. Insurance costs have also risen sharply, in part due to greater perceived risks and in part due to the reduced availability of insurance coverage. We must absorb these additional expenses in the current pricing environment.
• Pension Liability. We have significant commitments to our defined benefit pension plan. Pension expense for the year 2003 was $328 million. Pension expense for 2004 is expected to be approximately $280 million. We contributed $272 million in cash and approximately 7.4 million shares of Holdings common stock valued at approximately $100 million to our primary defined benefit pension plan in 2003. As a result, our 2004 minimum funding requirements are not expected to be significant. However, we currently intend to maintain the plan's funding at 90% of its current liability, which would result in our making contributions of approximately $300 million to our pension plan in 2004. As a result of declines in interest rates, we were required to increase the minimum pension liability and reduce stockholders' equity at December 31, 2003 by $20 million. This adjustment did not impact current earnings, the actual funding requirements of the plans or our compliance with debt covenants.

Results of Operations

Special Items. The comparability of our financial results between years is affected by a number of special items. In addition, the deconsolidation of Holdings from our financial statements effective November 12, 2003, more fully described in Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report, also impacts the comparability of our 2003 results to those of prior years. Our results for each of the last three years included the following special items (in millions):

Comparison of 2003 to 2002. Passenger revenue increased 3.5%, $273 million, during 2003 as compared to 2002, which was principally due to increased regional traffic in conjunction with ExpressJet's capacity increases, offset in part by reduced mainline traffic. The mainline traffic and capacity declines were largely due to a reduction in certain international flights in response to decreased demand during the war in Iraq and related to SARS. Mainline yields were essentially unchanged year over year.

The deconsolidation of Holdings effective November 12, 2003 did not impact our passenger revenue because, under our capacity purchase agreement with Holdings and ExpressJet, we purchase all of ExpressJet's capacity and are responsible for selling all of the seat inventory. As a result, after deconsolidation, we continue to record the related passenger revenue and related expenses, with payments under the capacity purchase agreement reflected as a separate operating expense.

Comparisons of passenger revenue, revenue per available seat mile (RASM) and available seat miles (ASMs) by geographic region for our mainline and regional operations are shown below:

Cargo, mail and other revenue increased 36.1%, $195 million, in 2003 compared to 2002, primarily due to military charter flights associated with the war in Iraq, higher volumes, and revenue-generating initiatives. 2003 also included $24 million of additional revenue resulting from a change in the expected redemption of frequent flyer mileage credits sold.

Wages, salaries and related costs increased 3.3%, $97 million, during 2003 as compared to 2002, as a result of increased pension costs and higher wage rates principally caused by increases in seniority, partially offset by a 3.8% reduction in the average number of mainline employees. Wages, salaries and related costs would have been $50 million higher in 2003 had we not deconsolidated Holdings effective November 12, 2003.

Aircraft fuel expense increased 22.7%, $232 million, in 2003 as compared to 2002. The average mainline fuel price per gallon increased 24.6% from 69.97 cents in 2002 to 87.18 cents in 2003. Mainline fuel consumption was down 3.0% as a result of reduced flights and more fuel-efficient aircraft. Regional jet fuel expense increased $43 million, even with the deconsolidation of Holdings, due to increased flights and higher jet fuel prices.

Aircraft rentals decreased slightly year over year due to aircraft rent on grounded aircraft not requiring expense in the current year as such amounts were previously recognized as part of the fleet impairment charge, exiting aircraft, and lower lease rates partially offset by increases from aircraft deliveries in 2003 and 2002. The deconsolidation of Holdings did not have an impact on aircraft rental expense because we are the primary obligor under the leases of the aircraft flown by ExpressJet. Rental income received by us from ExpressJet is reported in regional capacity purchase, net.

Landing fees and other rentals decreased 2.1%, $13 million, in 2003 as compared to 2002 primarily due to lower variable rent at selected airports, partially offset by higher facilities rent, primarily attributable to the completion of substantial portions of the Global Gateway project at Liberty International Airport. Landing fees and other rentals would have been $9 million higher in 2003 had we not deconsolidated Holdings effective November 12, 2003.

Maintenance, materials and repairs expense increased 6.9%, $33 million, during 2003 as compared to 2002 resulting from increases in our contractual engine maintenance cost per hour rates, higher wide-body maintenance activity and the higher number of regional jets in service. Maintenance, materials and repairs expense would have been $19 million higher in 2003 had we not deconsolidated Holdings effective November 12, 2003.

Fleet impairment losses and other special charges in 2003 consisted of a $65 million impairment charge in the first quarter for our MD-80 fleet and spare parts associated with the grounded aircraft, a $14 million charge in the second quarter for expenses associated with the deferral of Boeing 737 aircraft deliveries and a $21 million charge in the fourth quarter for lease exit costs for MD-80 aircraft. In 2002, we recorded $149 million of lease exit costs for leased DC 10-30, MD-80 and turboprop aircraft and a $93 million charge for impairment of owned MD-80 and turboprop aircraft.

Commissions expense decreased 30.2%, $64 million, in 2003 as compared to 2002 primarily due to the elimination of domestic base commissions during 2002 and certain international commission reductions.

Payments made to ExpressJet under our capacity purchase agreement, previously eliminated in consolidation, are reported as regional capacity purchase, net, beginning November 12, 2003, the date we deconsolidated Holdings. In addition to the payments for the purchased capacity, regional capacity purchase, net, also includes ExpressJet's fuel expense in excess of the cap (66.0 cents per gallon in 2003) provided in the capacity purchase agreement and a related fuel purchase agreement and is net of our rental income on aircraft we lease to ExpressJet.

Other operating expense decreased 13.0%, $147 million, as a result of lower insurance costs and cost-saving measures. These expenses would have been $21 million higher in 2003 had we not deconsolidated Holdings effective November 12, 2003.

Interest expense increased 5.6%, $21 million, in 2003 compared to 2002 due to an increase in long-term debt resulting from the purchase of new aircraft.

Equity in the income (loss) of affiliates included our equity in the earnings (loss) of Copa Airlines, Orbitz (until its initial public offering in December 2003) and, effective November 12, 2003, Holdings.

Other nonoperating income (expense) in 2003 included $132 million of gains related to the sale of investments in Hotwire and Orbitz and an adjustment to fair value of our remaining investment in Orbitz, after associated compensation expense.

Our effective tax rates differ from the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to expenses that are not deductible for federal income tax purposes, state income taxes and the accrual of income tax expense on our share of Holdings' net income. We are required to accrue income tax expense on our share of Holdings' net income after its initial public offering in all periods where we consolidate Holdings' operations. The accrual of this income tax expense increased our tax expense by approximately $16 million during 2003 and reduced our tax benefit by $12 million in 2002. During 2003, we contributed 7.4 million shares of Holdings common stock valued at approximately $100 million to our defined benefit pension plan. For tax purposes, our deduction was limited to the market value of the shares contributed. Since our tax basis in the shares was higher than the market value at the time of the contribution, the nondeductible portion increased our tax expense by $9 million.

Minority interest of $49 million in 2003 represents the portion of Holdings' net income attributable to the equity of Holdings that we did not own prior to November 12, 2003, the date we deconsolidated Holdings. This amount is based on Holdings' results of operations under the capacity purchase agreement. Under this agreement, we pay ExpressJet for scheduled block hours based on an agreed upon formula. Transactions between us and Holdings or ExpressJet under the capacity purchase agreement prior to deconsolidation were otherwise eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.

Comparison of 2002 to 2001. Passenger revenue decreased 7.0%, $595 million, during 2002 as compared to 2001, which was principally due to a decrease in both traffic and yields subsequent to the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well as the continuing weak economy. Yield was 6.4% lower in 2002 compared to 2001.

Comparisons of passenger revenue, RASM and ASMs by geographic region for our mainline and regional operations are shown below:

Cargo, mail and other revenue increased 5.5%, $28 million, in 2002 compared to 2001 primarily due to increased charter revenue and passenger related fees, partially offset by new security restrictions that reduced mail volumes.

Wages, salaries and related costs decreased 2.1%, $62 million, during 2002 as compared to 2001, primarily due to a reduction in the average number of employees and lower employee incentives, partially offset by higher wage rates.

Aircraft fuel expense decreased 16.8%, $206 million, in 2002 as compared to 2001. The average price per gallon decreased 10.6% from 78.24 cents in 2001 to 69.97 cents in 2002. Jet fuel consumption decreased 9.1% principally reflecting decreased flight operations due to the current industry environment and the fuel efficiency of our younger fleet.

Aircraft rentals decreased 0.1%, $1 million, in 2002 compared to 2001, due to aircraft rent on grounded aircraft not requiring expense as such amounts were previously recognized as part of the fleet impairment charge, offset by increased rental expense related to the delivery of new aircraft.

Landing fees and other rentals increased 9.0%, $52 million, in 2002 as compared to 2001 primarily due to higher landing fees resulting from rate increases and higher facilities rent, partially attributable to the completion of substantial portions of the Global Gateway project at Liberty International Airport.

Maintenance, materials and repairs expense decreased 16.2%, $92 million, during 2002 as compared to 2001 primarily due to the replacement of older aircraft with new aircraft that generally require less maintenance.

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased 4.9%, $23 million, in 2002 as compared to 2001 due to lower depreciation expense on grounded aircraft which have been written down to fair market value and $22 million related to the discontinuation of amortization of routes following the adoption of SFAS 142, partially offset by the addition of new owned aircraft and related spare parts.

Booking fees, credit card discounts and sales expense decreased 14.6%, $65 million, in 2002 as compared to 2001 principally due to lower credit card fees as a result of lower revenue.

Commissions expense decreased 41.8%, $152 million, in 2002 compared to 2001 due to elimination of domestic base commissions and lower revenue.

Passenger servicing expense decreased 14.7%, $51 million, in 2002 as compared to 2001 primarily due to improved baggage performance and a decrease in food costs caused by a decrease in passengers.

Interest expense increased 19.6%, $61 million, in 2002 compared to 2001 due to an increase in long-term debt primarily resulting from the purchase of new aircraft.

Interest income decreased 46.7%, $21 million, in 2002 compared to 2001 due to lower interest rates.

Equity in the income (loss) of affiliates included our equity in the earnings (loss) of Copa, Orbitz and, in 2001, Gulfstream.

Other nonoperating income (expense) in 2001 included $22 million of special charges related to the impairment of investments in two of our affiliates and the uncollectibility of related notes receivable as a consequence of the events of September 11, 2001.

As of December 31, 2003, we had $1.6 billion in consolidated cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, which is $258 million higher than at December 31, 2002. The December 31, 2002 cash balance included $121 million cash held by Holdings. Holdings' cash is not included in the consolidated balance at December 31, 2003 since Holdings is no longer consolidated with Continental. At December 31, 2003, we had $170 million of restricted cash, which is primarily collateral for estimated future workers' compensation claims, letters of credit, performance bonds and interest rate swap agreements. Restricted cash at December 31, 2002 totaled $62 million. We will be required to maintain additional restricted cash of approximately $30 million beginning in the first quarter of 2004 as a result of our new credit card processing agreement. We expect our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balance (including restricted cash) at the end of the first quarter of 2004 to be approxima tely $1.5 billion.

For a discussion of a number of factors that may impact our liquidity and the sufficiency of our capital resources, see "Overview" above.

Operating Activities. Cash flows provided by operations for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $342 million, compared to cash flows used in operations of $46 million for the year ended December 31, 2002 and cash flows provided by operations of $567 million for the year ended December 31, 2001. Significant cash flows in 2003 included the May 2003 receipt of $176 million from the United States government pursuant to the Supplemental Appropriations Act and our payment of $272 million in cash to our primary defined benefit pension plan. Excluding these special items, the change in cash flows from 2002 to 2003 reflects improved revenues and our cost-saving initiatives. The 2002 period was impacted by our January 2002 payment of $168 million in transportation taxes, the payment of which had been deferred pursuant to the Stabilization Act, and our contribution of $150 million to our pension plan. Cash flows from operations in 2001 included $417 million received under the Stabilization Act.

Absent adverse factors outside our control such as additional terrorist attacks, hostilities involving the United States or further significant increases in fuel prices, we believe that our liquidity and access to cash will be sufficient to fund our current operations through 2004 and beyond if we are successful in implementing our previously announced revenue-generating and cost-cutting measures. These measures were originally designed to permit us to operate profitably in a prolonged low-fare environment. Although we expect to meet or exceed our cost-savings targets, current trends in the airline industry, particularly if historically high fuel prices continue, make achieving our goal of reaching breakeven in 2004 unlikely. Our revenue-generating and cost-saving measures are as follows:

• In August 2002, we announced plans to implement a number of revenue-generating and cost-saving measures intended to achieve a pre-tax contribution in excess of $350 million. Included in the more than 100 planned changes were the assessment of fees for paper tickets, the elimination of discounts on certain fares, the enforcement of all fare rules with a policy prohibiting exceptions, the optimization of our flight schedule to best match demand and capacity and the modification of certain employee programs. We estimate that these measures resulted in savings of approximately $400 million in 2003.
  

• In March 2003, we announced plans to implement measures designed to improve our then current 2004 pre-tax outlook by $500 million. We estimate that these measures resulted in savings of approximately $200 million in 2003 and believe that we will achieve our goal of $500 million in pre-tax benefits in 2004. The cost-saving measures include a significant reduction in distribution expenses through increased utilization of our website, continental.com, the reduction of airport facility costs and landing fees, the elimination of paper tickets worldwide by December 31, 2004 (subject to market and technological conditions), the closing of select city ticket offices and the renegotiation of contracts with key suppliers.
  

Investing Activities. Cash flows used by investing activities were $8 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, compared to $36 million for the year ended December 31, 2002. These amounts reflect fewer aircraft deliveries in 2003. We received $134 million from Holdings in 2003 related to Holding's purchase of approximately 9.8 million shares of our Holdings common stock. Also in 2003, we received $76 million related to dispositions of our investment in Hotwire, Inc. and a portion of our investment in Orbitz. In 2002, we received $447 million related to the initial public offering of Holdings.

We have substantial commitments for capital expenditures, including for the acquisition of new aircraft. Our capital expenditures during 2003 totaled $205 million, or $153 million when reduced by net purchase deposits refunded. Capital expenditures for 2004 are expected to be $270 million, or $155 million when reduced by net purchase deposits to be refunded. Projected capital expenditures consist of $90 million of fleet expenditures, $125 million of non-fleet expenditures and $55 million for rotable parts and capitalized interest.

As of December 31, 2003, we had firm commitments for 63 aircraft from Boeing, with an estimated cost of approximately $2.4 billion and options to purchase an additional 84 Boeing aircraft. We expect to take delivery of a total of 16 Boeing aircraft in 2004, seven Boeing aircraft in 2005 and none in 2006 and 2007, with delivery of the remaining 40 aircraft occurring in 2008 and 2009.

We currently have agreements for the financing of six of the eleven 737-800 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2004 and all five of the 757-300 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2004, subject to customary conditions. We do not have backstop financing or any other financing currently in place for the remainder of the aircraft. Further financing will be needed to satisfy our capital commitments for our firm aircraft. We can provide no assurance that sufficient financing will be available for the aircraft on order or other related capital expenditures.

As of December 31, 2003, ExpressJet had firm commitments for 50 regional jets from Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. ("Embraer"), with an estimated cost of approximately $1.0 billion. ExpressJet currently anticipates taking delivery of 21 regional jets in 2004, with the remainder being delivered through 2006. ExpressJet does not have an obligation to take any of these firm Embraer aircraft that are not financed by a third party and leased to either ExpressJet or us. Under the capacity purchase agreement between us and ExpressJet, we have agreed to lease as lessee and sublease to ExpressJet the regional jets that are subject to ExpressJet's firm purchase commitments. In addition, under the capacity purchase agreement with ExpressJet, we generally are obligated to purchase all of the capacity provided by these new aircraft as they deliver to ExpressJet. We cannot predict whether passenger traffic levels will enable us to utilize fully regional jets delivering to ExpressJet in the future.

We also have significant operating lease and facility rental obligations. For the year ended December 31, 2003, annual aircraft and facility rental expense under operating leases approximated $1.3 billion.

Financing Activities. Cash flows used in financing activities were $93 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, compared to cash flows provided by financing activities of $204 million in the year ended December 31, 2002. Debt and capital lease payments essentially equaled proceeds from new issuances of debt during 2003; in 2002, we borrowed $213 million more than we paid on debt and capital lease obligations.

At December 31, 2003, we had approximately $6.0 billion (including current maturities) of long-term debt and capital lease obligations. We do not currently have any undrawn lines of credit and substantially all of our otherwise readily financeable assets are encumbered.

In May 2003, we issued $100 million of Floating Rate Secured Subordinated Notes due December 2007 (the "Junior Notes"). The Junior Notes are secured by a portion of our spare parts inventory and bear interest at the three-month LIBOR plus 7.5%. In connection with the Junior Notes and $200 million of Floating Rate Secured Notes due December 2007 secured by the same pool of spare parts (the "Senior Notes"), we have entered into a collateral maintenance agreement requiring us, among other things, to maintain a loan-to-collateral value ratio of not greater than 45% with respect to the Senior Notes and a loan-to-collateral value ratio of not greater than 67.5% with respect to both the Senior Notes and the Junior Notes combined. We must also maintain a certain level of rotable components within the spare parts collateral pool. The ratios are calculated on a semi-annual basis based on an independent appraisal of the spare parts collateral pool. If any of the collateral ratio covenants are not met, we mu st take action to meet all covenants by adding additional eligible spare parts to the collateral pool, purchasing or redeeming some of the outstanding notes, providing other collateral acceptable to the bond insurance policy provider for the Senior Notes, or any combination of the above. At December 31, 2003, $195 million of the Senior Notes and $97 million of the Junior Notes were outstanding.

During 2003, we incurred $130 million of floating rate indebtedness under a term loan agreement that matures in May 2011. This indebtedness is secured by a portion of our spare engines and initially bears interest at the three-month LIBOR plus 3.5%.

In June 2003, we issued $175 million of 5% Convertible Notes due 2023. The notes are convertible into our Class B common stock at an initial conversion price of $20 per share, subject to certain conditions on conversion. The notes are redeemable for cash at our option on or after June 18, 2010 at par plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. Holders may require us to repurchase the notes on June 15 of 2010, 2013 or 2018, or in the event of certain changes in control, at par plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. The indenture provides that we may at our option choose to pay this repurchase price in cash, in shares of common stock or any combination thereof, except in certain circumstances involving a change in control, in which case we will be required to pay cash. Should we be required to repurchase the notes at any of the redemption dates, it is our policy that we would satisfy the requirement in cash.

During the fourth quarter of 2003, we incurred $120 million of floating rate indebtedness due at various intervals through 2015. This indebtedness is secured by four 737-800 aircraft that were delivered in the fourth quarter of 2003 and bears interest at LIBOR plus 2.5%, with an initial average rate of 3.71%.

On several occasions subsequent to September 11, 2001, Moody's Investors Service and Standard and Poor's both downgraded the credit ratings of a number of major airlines, including us. Additional downgrades to our credit ratings were made in March and April 2003 and further downgrades are possible. As of December 31, 2003, our senior unsecured debt was rated Caa2 by Moody's and CCC+ by Standard and Poor's. Reductions in our credit ratings have increased the interest we pay on new issuances of debt and may increase the cost and reduce the availability of financing to us in the future. We do not have any debt obligations that would be accelerated as a result of a credit rating downgrade. However, we would have to post additional collateral under our credit card processing agreement if our debt rating falls below Caa3 as rated by Moody's or CCC- as rated by Standard and Poor's.

We have utilized proceeds from the issuance of pass-through certificates to finance the acquisition of 257 leased and owned mainline jet aircraft. Typically, these pass-through certificates, as well as a separate financing secured by aircraft spare parts, contain liquidity facilities whereby a third party agrees to make payments sufficient to pay at least 18 months of interest on the applicable certificates if a payment default occurs. The liquidity providers for these certificates include the following: Landesbank Hessen-Thuringen Girozentrale, Morgan Stanley Capital Services, Westdentsche Landesbank Girozentrale, AIG Matched Funding Corp., ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Credit Suisse First Boston, Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Bayerische Landesbank Girozentrale, ING Bank N.V. and De Nationale Investeringsbank N.V.

We currently utilize policy providers to provide credit support on three separate financings with an outstanding principal balance of $570 million at December 31, 2003. The policy providers have unconditionally guaranteed the payment of interest on the notes when due and the payment of principal on the notes no later than 24 months after the final scheduled payment date. Policy providers on these notes are MBIA Insurance Corporation (a subsidiary of MBIA, Inc.), Ambac Assurance Corporation (a subsidiary of Ambac Financial Group, Inc.) and Financial Security Assurance, Inc. (a subsidiary of Financial Security Assurance Holdings Ltd.). Financial information for the parent companies of these policy providers is available over the internet at the SEC's website at http//www.sec.gov or at the SEC's public reference room in Washington, D.C.

Contractual Obligations. The following table summarizes the effect that minimum debt, lease and other material noncancelable commitments listed below are expected to have on our cash flow in the future periods set forth below (in millions):

We expect to fund our future capital and purchase commitments through internally generated funds together with general company financings and aircraft financing transactions. However, there can be no assurance that sufficient financing will be available for all aircraft and other capital expenditures or that, if necessary, we will be able to defer or otherwise renegotiate our capital commitments.

Operating Leases. At December 31, 2003, we had 469 aircraft under operating leases, 38 of which have been removed from service. These leases have remaining lease terms ranging up to 21-1/2 years. In addition, we have non-aircraft operating leases, principally related to airport and terminal facilities and related equipment. The obligations for these operating leases are not included in our consolidated balance sheet. Our total rental expense for aircraft and non-aircraft operating leases was $896 million and $395 million, respectively, in 2003.

Capacity Purchase Agreement. Our capacity purchase agreement with ExpressJet provides that we purchase, in advance, all of its available seat miles for a negotiated price, and we are at risk for reselling the available seat miles at market prices. Under the agreement, ExpressJet has the right through December 31, 2006 to be our sole provider of regional jet service from our hubs. See Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 4 for details of our capacity purchase agreement with ExpressJet.

Guarantees and Indemnifications. We have entered into agreements with the cities of Houston, Texas and Cleveland, Ohio, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The New York City Industrial Development Agency, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the Regional Airports Improvement Corporation (in Los Angeles) and the Harris County (Houston) Industrial Development Corporation to provide funds for constructing, improving and modifying facilities that have been or will be leased to us and for acquiring related equipment. In connection with those agreements, we have unconditionally guaranteed the principal and interest on tax-exempt bonds issued by these entities with a current outstanding balance of approximately $1.6 billion (excluding the City of Houston bonds and including the US Airways contingent liability, both discussed below) and entered into long-term leases with the respective authorities under which rental payments will be suffic ient to service the related bonds. The leases generally have terms ranging from 20 to 30 years. These leasing arrangements are accounted for as operating leases in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

In August 2001, the City of Houston completed the offering of $324 million aggregate principal amount of tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds to finance the construction of Terminal E and a new international ticketing hall facility at Bush Intercontinental Airport. In connection therewith, we entered into a long-term lease with the City of Houston requiring that upon completion of construction, with limited exceptions, we will make rental payments sufficient to service the related tax-exempt bonds through their maturity in 2029. Approximately $222 million of the bond proceeds had been expended as of December 31, 2003. During the construction period, we retain certain risks related to our own actions or inactions while managing portions of the construction. Potential obligations associated with these risks are generally limited based upon certain percentages of construction costs incurred to date.

We have also entered into a binding corporate guaranty with the bond trustee for the repayment of the principal and interest on the bonds that becomes partially effective (based on a pro rata share of bond proceeds) upon the completion of construction of the terminal or of the international ticketing hall facility. The corporate guaranty would also become effective if we fail to comply with the lease agreement (which is within our control), or if we terminate the lease agreement. Further, we have not assumed any condemnation risk, any casualty event risk (unless caused by us), or risk related to certain overruns (and in the case of cost overruns, our liability for the project would be limited to 89.9% of the capitalized costs) during the construction period of each respective phase. Accordingly, we are not considered the owner of the project for financial reporting purposes and, therefore, have not capitalized the construction costs or recorded the debt obligation in our consolidated financial statemen ts. However, our potential obligation under the guarantee is for payment of the principal of $324 million and related interest charges, at an annual rate of 6.78%. We expect the guaranty to become effective for a portion of the bonds relating to the terminal, in the amount of $271 million, during the first quarter of 2004. Our lease payments, which are sufficient to service the bonds, are included in the table under "Contractual Obligations" in the "Liquidity and Capital Resources" section of Item 7 of this report.

We remain contingently liable for US Airways' obligations under a lease agreement between US Airways and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey related to the East End Terminal at LaGuardia airport. These obligations include the payment of ground rentals to the Port Authority and the payment of principal and interest on special facilities revenue bonds issued by the Port Authority with an outstanding balance of $174 million at December 31, 2003 and having a final scheduled maturity in 2015. If US Airways defaults on these obligations, we will be required to cure the default, and we would have the right to occupy the terminal after US Airways' interest in the lease had been terminated.

We are the lessee under many real estate leases. It is common in such commercial lease transactions for us as the lessee to agree to indemnify the lessor and other related third parties for tort liabilities that arise out of or relate to our use or occupancy of the leased premises. In some cases, this indemnity extends to related liabilities arising from the negligence of the indemnified parties, but usually excludes any liabilities caused by their gross negligence or willful misconduct. Additionally, we typically indemnify such parties for any environmental liability that arises out of or relates to our use of the leased premises.

In our aircraft financing agreements, we typically indemnify the financing parties, trustees acting on their behalf and other related parties against liabilities that arise from the manufacture, design, ownership, financing, use, operation and maintenance of the aircraft and for tort liability, whether or not these liabilities arise out of or relate to the negligence of these indemnified parties, except for their gross negligence or willful misconduct.

We expect that we would be covered by insurance (subject to deductibles) for most tort liabilities and related indemnities described above with respect to real estate we lease and aircraft we operate.

In our financing transactions that include loans from banks in which the interest rate is based on LIBOR, we typically agree to reimburse the lenders for certain increased costs that they incur in carrying these loans as a result of any change in law and for any reduced returns with respect to these loans due to any change in capital requirements. We had $1.4 billion of floating rate debt at December 31, 2003. In several financing transactions, with an aggregate carrying value of $975 million, involving loans from non-U.S. banks, export-import banks and certain other lenders secured by aircraft, we bear the risk of any change in tax laws that would subject loan payments thereunder to non-U.S. lenders to withholding taxes. In addition, in cross-border aircraft lease agreements for two 757 aircraft, we bear the risk of any change in U.S. tax laws that would subject lease payments made by us to a resident of Japan to U.S. taxes. Our lease obligations for these two aircraft totaled $68 million at Dece mber 31, 2003.

We cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under the foregoing indemnities and agreements.

Deferred Tax Assets. We have not paid federal income taxes in the last three years. As of December 31, 2003, we had a net non-current deferred tax liability of $446 million including gross deferred tax assets aggregating $1,537 million, $1,077 million related to net operating losses ("NOLs") and a valuation allowance of $219 million.

At December 31, 2003, we had estimated tax NOLs of $3.0 billion for federal income tax purposes that will expire through 2023. Due to our ownership change on April 27, 1993, the ultimate utilization of our NOLs may be limited. Reflecting this limitation, we had a valuation allowance of $219 million at December 31, 2003 and 2002.

Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code ("Section 382") imposes limitations on a corporation's ability to utilize NOLs if it experiences an "ownership change." In general terms, an ownership change may result from transactions increasing the ownership of certain stockholders in the stock of a corporation by more than 50 percentage points over a three-year period. In the event of an ownership change, utilization of our NOLs would be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 determined by multiplying the value of our stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax exempt rate (which was 4.74% for December 2003). Any unused annual limitation may be carried over to later years. The amount of the limitation may under certain circumstances be increased by certain built-in gains that we held at the time of the change that are recognized in the five-year period after the change. Under current conditions, if an ownership change were to occur, our annual NOL utilization w ould be limited to approximately $51 million per year, before consideration of any built-in gains.

The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") is in the process of examining our income tax returns for years through 1999 and has indicated that it may disallow certain deductions we claimed. In addition, the IRS has begun an examination of our income tax returns for the years 2000 and 2001. We believe the ultimate resolution of these audits will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.

Environmental Matters. We could potentially be responsible for environmental remediation costs primarily related to jet fuel and solvent contamination surrounding our aircraft maintenance hangar in Los Angeles. In 2001, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board mandated a field study of the site and it was completed in September 2001. We have established a reserve for estimated costs of environmental remediation at Los Angeles and elsewhere in our system, based primarily on third party environmental studies and estimates as to the extent of the contamination and nature of the required remedial actions. We have evaluated and recorded this accrual for environmental remediation costs separately from any related insurance recovery. We have not recognized any receivables related to insurance recoveries at December 31, 2003.

We expect our total losses from environmental matters to be $52 million, for which we were fully accrued at December 31, 2003. During 2003, we received insurance settlements totaling $16 million for future environmental claims. Although we believe, based on currently available information, that our reserves for potential environmental remediation costs are adequate, reserves could be adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change. However, we do not expect these items to materially impact our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

An off-balance sheet arrangement is any transaction, agreement or other contractual arrangement involving an unconsolidated entity under which a company has (1) made guarantees, (2) a retained or a contingent interest in transferred assets, (3) an obligation under derivative instruments classified as equity or (4) any obligation arising out of a material variable interest in an unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support to the company, or that engages in leasing, hedging or research and development arrangements with the company.

We have no arrangements of the types described in the first three categories that we believe may have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations. Certain guarantees that we do not expect to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, liquidity or resulted operations are disclosed in Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

We do have obligations arising out of variable interests in unconsolidated entities. Effective July 1, 2003, we adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46, "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities", which addresses the accounting for these variable interests. See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report for a discussion of our off-balance sheet aircraft leases, airport leases (which includes the US Airways contingent liability), subsidiary trust and our capacity purchase agreement between us and Holdings and ExpressJet.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Critical accounting policies are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties, and potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. We believe that our critical accounting policies are limited to those described below. For a detailed discussion on the application of these and other accounting policies, see Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

Pension Plan. We account for our defined benefit pension plan using Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87, "Employer's Accounting for Pensions" ("SFAS 87"). Under SFAS 87, pension expense is recognized on an accrual basis over employees' approximate service periods. Pension expense calculated under SFAS 87 is generally independent of funding decisions or requirements. We recognized expense for our defined benefit pension plan of $328 million, $185 million and $127 million in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. We expect our pension expense to be approximately $280 million in 2004.

The fair value of our plan assets increased from $866 million at December 31, 2002 to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2003. We contributed $272 million in cash and 7.4 million shares of Holdings common stock valued at approximately $100 million to our primary defined benefit pension plan in 2003. As of December 31, 2003, the plan held 4.5 million shares of Holdings common stock, which had a fair value of $67 million. As a result of these contributions and higher investment returns, our plan's under-funded status decreased from $1.2 billion at December 31, 2002 to $1.1 billion at December 31, 2003. Funding requirements for defined benefit pension plans are determined by government regulations, not SFAS 87. Our 2004 minimum funding requirements are not expected to be significant. However, we currently intend to maintain the plan's funding at 90% of its current liability, which would result in our making contributions of approximately $300 million to our pension plan in 2004. Although a number of bil ls have been proposed in Congress that could significantly affect pension funding rules, none of the current proposals would increase our minimum required contribution or our expected contributions in 2004.

The calculation of pension expense and our pension liability requires the use of a number of assumptions. Changes in these assumptions can result in different expense and liability amounts, and future actual experience can differ from the assumptions. We believe that the two most critical assumptions are the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the assumed discount rate.

When calculating pension expense for 2003, we assumed that our plan's assets would generate a long-term rate of return of 9.0%. This rate is lower than the assumed rate of 9.5% used to calculate the 2002 and 2001 expense. We develop our expected long-term rate of return assumption based on historical experience and by evaluating input from the trustee managing the plan's assets, including the trustee's review of asset class return expectations by several consultants and economists as well as long-term inflation assumptions. Our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on a target allocation of assets, which is based on our goal of earning the highest rate of return while maintaining risk at acceptable levels. The plan strives to have assets sufficiently diversified so that adverse or unexpected results from one security class will not have an unduly detrimental impact on the entire portfolio. Our allocation of assets (excluding the Holdings shares held by the plan) was as follows at December 31, 2003:

We believe that our long-term asset allocation on average will approximate the targeted allocation. We regularly review our actual asset allocation and periodically rebalance the pension plan's investments to our targeted allocation when considered appropriate.

Pension expense increases as the expected rate of return on plan assets decreases. Lowering the expected long-term rate of return on our plan assets by 0.5% (from 9.0% to 8.5%) would increase our estimated 2004 pension expense by approximately $6 million.

We discounted our future pension obligations using a rate of 6.25% at December 31, 2003, compared to 6.75% at December 31, 2002 and 7.5% at December 31, 2001. We determine the appropriate discount rate based on the current rates earned on long-term bonds that receive one of the two highest ratings given by a recognized rating agency. The pension liability and future pension expense both increase as the discount rate is reduced. Lowering the discount rate by 0.5% (from 6.25% to 5.75%) would increase our pension liability at December 31, 2003 by approximately $206 million and increase our estimated 2004 pension expense by approximately $31 million.

At December 31, 2003, we have unrecognized actuarial losses of $1.0 billion. These losses will be recognized as a component of pension expense in future years. Our estimated 2004 pension expense of $280 million includes the recognition of approximately $75 million of these losses.

Future changes in plan asset returns, assumed discount rates and various other factors related to the participants in our pension plans will impact our future pension expense and liabilities. We cannot predict with certainty what these factors will be in the future.

Revenue Recognition. We recognize passenger revenue and related commissions, if any, when transportation is provided or when the ticket expires unused rather than when a ticket is sold. Prior to October 1, 2002, unused nonrefundable tickets expired one year from the date the ticket was sold, or for partially used tickets, the date of first flight. Effective October 1, 2002, unused nonrefundable tickets expire on the date of intended flight unless the date is extended by payment of a change fee. Effective August 20, 2003, we modified our policy to give customers with nonrefundable tickets who cancel their reservations prior to scheduled departure time a full year from the date their original ticket was sold to reschedule and pay the change fee, without losing the value of their tickets.

The amount of passenger ticket sales and commissions not yet recognized as revenue is reflected as air traffic liability and prepaid commissions, respectively, in our consolidated balance sheet. We perform periodic evaluations of this estimated liability and any adjustments, which can be significant, are included in results of operations for the periods in which the evaluations are completed. These adjustments relate primarily to differences between our statistical estimation of certain revenue transactions and the related sales price, as well as refunds, exchanges, interline transactions and other items for which final settlement occurs in periods subsequent to the sale of the related tickets at amounts other than the original sales price.

Impairments of Long-Lived Assets. We record impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations, primarily property and equipment and airport operating rights, when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those items. Our cash flow estimates are based on historical results adjusted to reflect our best estimate of future market and operating conditions. The net carrying value of assets not recoverable is reduced to fair value. Our estimates of fair value represent our best estimate based on industry trends and reference to market rates and transactions.

We recognized fleet impairment losses in 2003, 2002 and 2001, each of which was partially the result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the related aftermath. These events resulted in a reevaluation of our operating and fleet plans, resulting in the grounding of certain older aircraft types or acceleration of the dates on which the related aircraft were to be removed from service. The grounding or acceleration of aircraft retirement dates resulted in reduced estimates of future cash flows.

In 2003, we recorded an impairment charge of $44 million to reflect decreases in the fair value of our owned MD-80s, along with other impairments totaling $21 million. In 2002, we recognized an impairment charge of $93 million related to owned MD-80 and ATR-42 aircraft. In 2001, we determined that the carrying amounts of our owned DC 10-30, ATR-42, EMB-120 and Boeing 747 and 727 aircraft and related inventories were no longer recoverable and recognized an impairment charge of approximately $61 million. We estimated the fair value of these aircraft and related inventory based on industry trends and, where available, reference to market rates and transactions. All other long-lived assets, principally our other fleet types and airport operating rights, were determined to be recoverable based on our estimates of future cash flows. For purposes of this computation, our assumptions about future cash flows reflect a return to more historical levels of industry profitability on a longer-term basis.

We also perform annual impairment tests on our routes, which are indefinite life intangible assets. These tests are based on estimates of discounted future cash flows, using assumptions consistent with those used for aircraft and airport operating rights impairment tests. We determined that we did not have any impairment of our routes at December 31, 2003.

We provide an allowance for spare parts inventory obsolescence over the remaining useful life of the related aircraft, plus allowances for spare parts currently identified as excess. These allowances are based on our estimates and industry trends, which are subject to change and, where available, reference to market rates and transactions. The estimates are more sensitive when we near the end of a fleet life or when we remove entire fleets from service sooner than originally planned.

We regularly review the estimated useful lives and salvage values for our aircraft and spare parts.

Frequent Flyer Accounting. We utilize a number of estimates in accounting for our OnePass frequent flyer program which are consistent with industry practices.

For those OnePass accounts that have sufficient mileage credits to claim the lowest level of free travel, we record a liability for the estimated incremental cost of providing travel awards that are expected to be redeemed. Incremental cost includes the cost of fuel, meals, insurance and miscellaneous supplies and does not include any costs for aircraft ownership, maintenance, labor or overhead allocation. A change to these cost estimates, the actual redemption activity or the minimum award level could have a significant impact on our liability in the period of change as well as future years.

We also sell mileage credits in our frequent flyer program to participating partners, such as credit card companies, phone companies, other airlines, alliance members, hotels and car rental agencies. Revenue from the sale of mileage credits is deferred and recognized as passenger revenue when transportation is likely to be provided, based on estimates of the fair value of tickets to be redeemed. In the fourth quarter of 2003, we adjusted our estimates of the mileage credits we expect to be redeemed for travel, resulting in a one-time increase in other revenue of $24 million. Amounts received in excess of the tickets' fair value are recognized in income currently and classified as a reimbursement of advertising expenses. A change to the time period over which the mileage credits are used (currently six to 32 months), the actual redemption activity or our estimate of the number or fair value of tickets could have a significant impact on our revenue in the year of change as well as future years.

We have entered into marketing alliances with several airlines, including Northwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. These marketing alliances generally include, among other things, reciprocal frequent flyer benefits that allow members of both airlines' frequent flyer programs to both earn and redeem frequent flyer credits on both airlines. For certain of these arrangements, we do not record a liability for the gross payments we expect to make to the other airlines for OnePass members' redemptions for travel on the other airlines until we meet certain contractual thresholds and other provisions that are required prior to cash payments being made. Cash payments on these agreements have not been significant in the past and are not expected to be significant in the future. For other of these arrangements, we record a liability for the gross payments we expect to make to the other airline for OnePass members' redemptions for travel on the other airline, without re gard to the payments we expect to receive from the other airline for their frequent flyer members' redemptions for travel on us.

See Note 17 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report for a discussion of related party transactions.

We are subject to certain market risks, including commodity price risk (i.e., aircraft fuel prices), interest rate risk, foreign currency risk and price changes related to certain investments in debt and equity securities. The adverse effects of potential changes in these market risks are discussed below. The sensitivity analyses presented do not consider the effects that such adverse changes may have on overall economic activity nor do they consider additional actions we may take to mitigate our exposure to such changes. Actual results may differ. See the notes to the consolidated financial statements for a description of our accounting policies and other information related to these financial instruments. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Aircraft Fuel. Our results of operations are significantly impacted by changes in the price of aircraft fuel. During 2003 and 2002, aircraft fuel accounted for 14.5% and 11.7%, respectively, of our operating expenses. Based on our expected fuel consumption in 2004, a one dollar increase in the price of crude oil will increase our annual fuel expense by approximately $38 million. From time to time we enter into petroleum swap contracts, petroleum call option contracts and/or jet fuel purchase commitments to provide some short-term protection (generally three to six months) against a sharp increase in jet fuel prices. Depending on the hedging method employed, our strategy may limit our ability to benefit from declines in fuel prices. As of December 31, 2003, we did not have any fuel hedges in place, as compared to the hedge of 23% of our projected 2003 fuel requirements at December 31, 2002.

Foreign Currency. We are exposed to the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the U.S. dollar value of foreign currency denominated operating revenue and expenses. We attempt to mitigate the effect of certain potential foreign currency losses by entering into forward and option contracts that effectively enable us to sell Japanese yen, British pounds and euros expected to be received from the respective denominated net cash flows over the next six to 12 months at specified exchange rates. As of December 31, 2003, we had entered into option and forward contracts to hedge approximately 61% of our projected yen-denominated net cash flows for 2004, forward contracts to hedge approximately 63% of our projected British pound-denominated net cash flows for 2004 and forward contracts to hedge approximately 50% of our projected euro-denominated net cash flows for the first six months of 2004. At December 31, 2002, we had option contracts in place to hedge approximately 90% of our projected yen-den ominated net cash flows for the first six months of 2003 and no material hedge contracts in place for our British pound- and euro-denominated net cash flows. We estimate that at December 31, 2003, a 10% strengthening in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the yen, pound and euro would have increased the fair value of the existing option and/or forward contracts by $6 million, $12 million and $2 million, respectively, offset by a corresponding loss on the underlying 2004 exposure of $13 million, $9 million and $3 million, respectively, resulting in a net $(7) million, $3 million and $(1) million gain (loss). At December 31, 2002, such a change would have resulted in a $4 million increase in the fair value of existing yen-denominated option contracts offset by a corresponding loss on the underlying exposure of $15 million, resulting in a net $11 million loss.

Interest Rates. Our results of operations are affected by fluctuations in interest rates (e.g., interest expense on variable-rate debt and interest income earned on short-term investments).

We had approximately $1.4 billion of variable-rate debt as of December 31, 2003 and 2002. We have mitigated our exposure on certain variable-rate debt by entering into interest rate cap and swap agreements. Our interest rate cap, which limited the amount of potential increase in the LIBOR rate component of our floating rate debt to a maximum of 9% over the term of the contract, expired July 31, 2002. The interest rate swap outstanding at December 31, 2003 and 2002 had a notional amount of $153 million and $162 million, respectively. The interest rate swap effectively locks us into paying a fixed rate of interest on a portion of our floating rate debt securities through 2005. If average interest rates increased by 100 basis points during 2004 as compared to 2003, our projected 2004 interest expense would increase by approximately $12 million, net of interest rate swap. At December 31, 2002, an interest rate increase of 100 basis points during 2003 as compared to 2002 was projected to increase 2003 interest expense by approximately $11 million, net of interest rate cap and swap.

As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, we estimated the fair value of $3.4 billion and $3.6 billion (carrying value) of our fixed-rate debt to be $3.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, based upon discounted future cash flows using our current incremental borrowing rates for similar types of instruments or market prices. Market risk, estimated as the potential increase in fair value resulting from a hypothetical 100 basis points decrease in interest rates, was approximately $113 million and $107 million as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively. The fair value of the remaining fixed-rate debt at December 31, 2003 and 2002, (with a carrying value of $826 million and $684 million, respectively), was not practicable to estimate.

If 2004 average short-term interest rates decreased by 100 basis points over 2003 average rates, our projected interest income from cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments would decrease by approximately $13 million during 2004, compared to an estimated $11 million decrease during 2003 measured at December 31, 2002.

Investment in Orbitz. We are exposed to the effect of price changes related to our investment in Orbitz, as traded on Nasdaq under the symbol "ORBZ". As of December 31, 2003, we held 3.6 million shares of Orbitz common stock, which we reported at its fair value of $83 million. We estimate that a 10% decrease in the fair value of Orbitz common stock would result in an $8 million decrease in the fair value of our investment at December 31, 2003. Any changes in the fair value of our Orbitz shares would be partially offset by a change in our related compensation liability, as discussed in Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this report.

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Continental Airlines, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Continental Airlines, Inc. (the "Company") as of December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the related consolidated statements of operations, common stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company at December 31, 2003 and 2002, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2003, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company adopted, effective January 1, 2002, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets". As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company adopted, effective January 1, 2003, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 146, "Accounting for Costs Associated with Disposal or Exit Activities" and, effective July 1, 2003, Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46, "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities".

ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Houston, Texas
January 20, 2004

The accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are an integral part of these statements.

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The accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are an integral part of these statements.