Continental’s 3rd quarter net income up 1.7%

Continental’s 3rd quarter net income up 1.7% Houston-based Continental Airlines posted net income of $241 million in the third quarter, up 1.7 percent against $237 million posted in the same three months last year.
   Continental’s operating income in the latest quarter jumped 45.8 percent to $280 million, up from $192 million a year earlier. Total revenue was up 8.6 percent to $3.82 billion although cargo sales slipped 4.3 percent to $112 million.
   After nine months of 2007, Continental reported net income of $491 million, a 32.7 percent rise from $370 million after three quarters of 2006. Operating income for the period was $606 million, up 35.3 percent from $448 million last year. Revenue was up 7.2 percent to $9.8 billion with cargo revenue down 2.4 percent to $328 million.