MONTERREY, Mexico, Oct. 7, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA, reports that total passenger traffic (terminal passengers) at its 13 airports decreased 7.5% in September 2008, as compared to September 2007.
Domestic traffic in September 2008 decreased 7.0% (-63,818 passengers), compared to the prior year period. The airports that reported the most significant reductions were Durango, Mazatlan, Ciudad Juarez, Culiacan, Tampico, Torreon, Chihuahua, and Monterrey; all were affected by the reduction in frequencies by Aviacsa and VivaAerobus, the suspension of Aerocalifornia, and the departure of Avolar from the OMA airports where it operated. Reynosa, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, San Luis Potosi, and Zacatecas increased domestic traffic. Several route openings were notable: Interjet started operating routes between Mexico City and Acapulco, Ciudad Juarez, Tampico, and Zihuatanejo; and Aeromexico Connect started the Monterrey-Queretaro route.
International traffic decreased 10.8% (-15,482 passengers) in September 2008, as compared to September 2007. The tourist destination airports of Mazatlan, Zihuatanejo, and Acapulco continued the decreasing trend of recent months, principally caused by the exit of Delta and a reduction in frequencies by other U.S. carriers. These same factors affected Zacatecas, Durango, and Culiacan, among others, resulting in a decrease in international passengers.
Total Passengers*
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(Thousand) Sep- Sep- Change% Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Change%
07 08 2007 2008
Domestic 913 849 (7.0) 8,725 9,075 4.0
International 143 128 (10.8) 1,886 1,845 (2.2)
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OMA Total 1,056 977 (7.5) 10,611 10,920 2.9
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*Terminal passengers: excludes transit passengers
By airport
Monterrey, OMA's principal airport, served 492,136 passengers in September 2008, a decrease of 5.3% (-27,425 passengers) compared to the same month of 2007. Domestic traffic at Monterrey airport decreased 6.0% principally as a result of a lower volume of traffic on Aviacsa and the cancellation of some flight frequencies by VivaAerobus. International traffic decreased 1.2%, affected by a reduction in flight frequencies by Continental.
Acapulco, OMA's third largest airport, recorded growth of 3.6% in September. Domestic traffic increased 7.3% as a result of an increase in passenger traffic to and from Toluca and general aviation. International traffic declined 24.2% principally as a result of a reduction in traffic to Los Angeles, Houston, and Phoenix.
The Reynosa airport continued to generate positive results. September total passenger traffic increased 24.9%, largely because of the performance of Volaris, Click Mexicana, and Alma.
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 950 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 press release 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.