MONTERREY, Mexico, April 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA (Nasdaq:OMAB) (BMV:OMA), reports that terminal passenger traffic at its 13 airports decreased 2.4% in March 2010, as compared to March 2009. Domestic traffic decreased 3.0%, and international traffic was unchanged.
Of total traffic, 96.7% was commercial aviation, and 3.3% was general aviation.
| Total Passengers* | ||||||
| Mar-09 | Mar-10 | Change % |
Jan-Mar 2009 |
Jan-Mar 2010 |
Change % | |
| Domestic | 862,766 | 836,876 | (3.0) | 2,416,250 | 2,191,885 | (9.3) |
| International | 216,990 | 217,098 | 0.0 | 630,304 | 603,934 | (4.2) |
| OMA Total | 1,079,756 | 1,053,974 | (2.4) | 3,046,554 | 2,795,819 | (8.2) |
| * Terminal passengers: includes passengers on the three types of aviation (commercial, charter, and general aviation), and excludes passengers in transit. | ||||||
Domestic traffic grew at seven airports. Traffic at the Culiacan, Mazatlan, Chihuahua, and Zacatecas airports benefitted principally from growth on the Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara routes. Durango benefitted from an increase in passengers carried by Grupo Aeromexico and also general aviation traffic. Ciudad Juarez benefitted from the opening of VivaAerobus's route to Guadalajara on March 1st. Finally, Reynosa was boosted by traffic on the Veracruz route.
Domestic traffic decreased at the other six airports, principally as a result of decreases in traffic on the Mexico City routes.
International traffic was unchanged as compared to the prior year period.Ten airports recorded growth, led by Monterrey, Mazatlan, and Durango. Monterrey benefitted principally from increases on the routes to Dallas and New York; Mazatlan from the routes to Phoenix and Denver; and Zacatecas airport on its route to Los Angeles.
Zihuatanejo and Acapulco were affected by decreases in charter traffic; in addition Acapulco saw a reduction in passengers on the routes to Houston and Minneapolis.
The total number of flight operations (takeoffs and landings) in the month increased 6.2% as compared to the prior year period.
The full traffic report is available at http://ir.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 most recent 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.
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 also operates a hotel and commercial areas inside Terminal 2 of the Mexico City airport. OMA employs over 960 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.