NATION

Donald C. Burr, founder and chief executive of People Express, has been named executive vice president and a director of Texas Air, and will also assume the posts of director and chairman of the executive committee of Continental Airlines.

People Express and New York Air will be merged into Continental Airlines on Feb. 1. Continental is also a unit of Texas Air.

Burr had been president of Texas Air’s predecessor company, Texas International Airlines, before leaving to start People Express.