TravelHaven NewsBrief — FAA Certificate Issued for United Continental

On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a single operating certificate to United Continental Holdings, which allows the combined airline to operate flights as one entity. This is a significant achievement for the world’s largest airline, which merged late in 2010. More than five hundred employees have been working to combine operating policies and procedures to secure FAA approval. The 18-month process began when the merger was announced in May 2010.

There will be little effect on passengers. Each carrier will continue to operate separate systems for reservations, seat assignments and flight status until the company combines those services sometime in the first quarter of 2012.

The most visible effect of the approval is that air traffic control communications will now refer to all of the carrier’s flights as “United.”