The Transportation Department complied with a federal...

The Transportation Department complied with a federal Court of Appeals order and awarded a Seattle-to-Tokyo route to Continental Airlines. It said Continental was to begin flying the route by March 4, taking over from United Airlines, which had flown the route since 1983. United’s right to the route came under federal scrutiny in 1985, when it bought the Pacific division of Pan American World Airways and increased its share of the U.S.-Japan market. The case against United was started in 1986 to determine if another carrier should be given a Tokyo route. The Transportation Department initially ruled that United should keep the route, but its decision was overturned on appeal last month.