Gunnison, CO – Continental Airlines on Wednesday announced new winter service between its Houston hub and Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport in Colorado, beginning Dec. 16, 2010. The service will operate through April 3, 2011. Gunnison is located just 30 miles from Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR).n”The thought of a snowy mountain escape is especially appealing after a long hot summer,” said Jim Ferea, Continental’s managing director scheduling. “Our new Houston to Gunnison flight joins our growing list of ski destinations in Colorado that are easily reached through convenient connections at our Houston hub.”

The new service will depart Houston at 11:40 a.m. and arrive in Gunnison at 1:25 p.m. The return flight will depart Gunnison at 2:15 p.m. and arrive in Houston at 5:35 p.m. Flights will operate daily except between Jan. 4 and Feb. 16, 2011, when the service will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flight is scheduled to accommodate connections for customers traveling from points throughout Texas, the eastern United States, Mexico and South America.

“We’ve had great success with service to Houston in the past, and it continues to be our number one requested city for added air service,” said Daren Cole, vice president of marketing and sales for CBMR. “We’re thrilled to offer the new flight from Continental for our guests from the greater Houston area.”

In addition to Gunnison, Continental operates winter service to several Colorado ski areas including Vail, Telluride and Steamboat Springs. The company also provides service to popular ski resorts in Utah, New Mexico, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and a number of destinations in the Northeastern United States.