* Domestic traffic grows 16.2%
* International traffic increases 0.6%
MONTERREY, Mexico, Jan. 9, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA (Nasdaq:OMAB), reports that total passenger traffic (terminal passengers) at its 13 airports was 1.3 million in December 2007, an increase of 12.9% compared to December 2006.
Domestic traffic in December 2007 totaled 1,012,991 passengers, an increase of 16.2% compared to the prior year. Eleven of our airports reported growth in domestic passenger traffic as a result of new routes opened by the new airlines (Aladia, Alma, Avolar, Interjet, VivaAerobus, and Volaris). During December, Avolar opened the Durango-Puebla route and Alma began the Monterrey-Chihuahua route. Passenger traffic at the Zacatecas airport decreased 27.4%, as a result of the suspension of operations of Lineas Aereas Azteca on March 26, 2007, and the beginning of proceedings to revoke its concession, announced on October 10, 2007.
International traffic totaled 232,126 passengers in December 2007, a 0.6% increase compared to December 2006. The Culiacan, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi and Monterrey airports recorded the most significant increases, as a result of the increase in frequencies and opening of international routes. During December, Mexicana opened the San Luis Potosi-Chicago and Monterrey-San Antonio routes. International passenger traffic at the Acapulco, Mazatlan and Zihuatanejo airports was affected by a reduction in charter and seasonal flights.
Total Passengers*
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(Thousand) Dec-06 Dec-07 Change % Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Change %
2006 2007
Domestic 871.8 1,013.0 16.2 9,258.3 11,740.5 26.8
International 230.8 232.1 0.6 2,525.3 2,471.9 (2.1)
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OMA Total 1,102.6 1,245.1 12.9 11,783.6 14,212.5 20.6
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* Terminal passengers: excludes transit passengers
By airport
Monterrey, OMA's principal airport, served 557,897 passengers in December 2007, an increase of 14.6% (+71,256 passengers) compared to the same month of 2006. Domestic traffic at Monterrey airport increased 15.3%, principally as a result of the volume of passengers served by the new airlines. International traffic rose 11.2%.
Culiacan airport increased 26.1% in December 2007 (+22,065 passengers) compared to the same month of 2006. Other airports that reported significant growth in terms of passenger traffic were Reynosa (+102.3%), San Luis Potosi (+31.5%), and Ciudad Juarez (+26.0%).
For more information please visit: http://ir.oma.aero/
About OMA
Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA, operates 13 international airports in nine states of central and northern Mexico. OMA's airports serve Monterrey, Mexico's third largest metropolitan area, the tourist destinations of Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Zihuatanejo, and nine other regional centers and border cities. OMA employs over 900 persons in order to offer passengers and clients, airport and commercial services in facilities that comply with all applicable international safety, security standards, and ISO 9001:2000. OMA's strategic shareholder members are ICA, Mexico's largest engineering, procurement, and construction company, and Aeroports de Paris Management, subsidiary of Aeroports de Paris, the second largest European airports operator. OMA is listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (OMA) and on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (OMAB). Please visit our website, www.oma.aero.
This communication may contain forward-looking information and statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," or similar expressions. While OMA's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of OMA, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed in our Annual Report filed on Form 20-F under the caption "Risk Factors." OMA undertakes no obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.