NEW YORK (AP) — Continental Airlines Inc. has asked regulators for an exemption from new rules to punish airlines for long tarmac delays, saying construction at New York's Kennedy Airport will slow operations at two other nearby airports.

If Continental doesn't get its wish, look for the nation's fourth-largest carrier to be quicker to cancel flights that might run up against the 3-hour limit.

Continental joined a growing list of carriers asking not to be punished if they violate a new government rule limiting how long passengers can be delayed on the tarmac.

JetBlue and Delta asked for exemptions from the rule last week, and American joined them on Tuesday. Those are the three biggest operators at Kennedy Airport, where the Federal Aviation Administration predicts delays will average up to 50 minutes during runway construction this spring.

Continental's hub in the New York area is at Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. The Houston-based airline said in a filing with the Transportation Department that runway construction at Kennedy will snarl air traffic throughout the New York area, including Newark and New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Continental said if JetBlue and Delta win exemptions from the delay penalties, it's only fair that airlines at LaGuardia and Liberty get the same break.