News In Brief

Continental wins option to cancel pilots contract

A bankruptcy judge Wednesday gave Continental Airlines permission to cancel its contract with the Air Lines Pilots Association, saying the contract was ''burdensome'' to the airline's financial reorganization. US Bankruptcy Judge R. F. Wheless Jr. issued a brief ruling after hearing 44 days of testimony.

''Reasonable efforts to negotiate a voluntary modification have been made and are not likely to produce a prompt and satisfactory solution,'' Judge Wheless said in a one-page opinion.

He said the ALPA-Continental contract was ''burdensome to the estate'' of the airline and that efforts to renegotiate it were unproductive, threatening to ''impede the success of the debtor's reorganization.''