MONTERREY, Mexico, Aug. 30, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA (Nasdaq:OMAB) (BMV:OMA) provided information regarding the total suspension of operations of the airlines Mexicana de Aviación, Click Mexicana, and Mexicana Link that was effective noon, Saturday, August 28th.
In its official statement on August 27, 2010, Nuevo Grupo Aeronáutico, S.A. de C.V. (Grupo Mexicana) announced the indefinite suspension of operations of Mexicana de Aviación, Click Mexicana, and Mexicana Link, while noting that it "will continue seeking out ways of securing the company's long-term financial viability."
In July 2010, prior to the bankruptcy filing by Mexicana de Aviación, the three airlines operated 24 routes at OMA's airports, of which 18 were also operated by other airlines, as shown in the following table.
| Route | Grupo Mexicana airline that operated route | Other airlines that operate route |
| Acapulco-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, and Interjet |
| Acapulco-Guadalajara | Mexicana Link | VivaAerobus |
| Chihuahua-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, and Interjet |
| Chihuahua-Guadalajara | Mexicana Link | Aeroméxico Connect and VivaAerobus |
| Culiacán-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico, Aeromexico Connect, and Interjet |
| Culiacán-Mexicali | Click Mexicana | -- |
| Durango-Mexico City | Mexicana Link | Aeroméxico Connect |
| Mazatlán-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico Connect |
| Monterrey-Bajío | Mexicana de Aviación | Aeroméxico Connect and VivaAerobus |
| Monterrey-Mexico City | Mexicana de Aviación, Click Mexicana, and Mexicana Link | Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, VivaAerobus, and Interjet |
| Monterrey-Chicago | Mexicana de Aviación | -- |
| Monterrey-New York | Mexicana de Aviación | -- |
| Monterrey-Guadalajara | Mexicana Link | Aeroméxico Connect, VivaAerobus, and Interjet |
| Monterrey-Puebla | Mexicana Link | -- |
| Monterrey-Cancún | Mexicana Link | Magnicharter, VivaAerobus, Interjet, and Aeroméxico |
| Reynosa-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico Connect |
| Tampico-Mexico City | Mexicana de Aviación and Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico Connect, Interjet, and Aeromar |
| Torreón-Mexico City | Mexicana Link | Aeroméxico Connect |
| Zacatecas-Mexico City | Mexicana de Aviación | Aeroméxico Connect and Aeromar |
| Zacatecas-Tijuana | Mexicana de Aviación | Volaris |
| Zacatecas-Chicago | Mexicana de Aviación | -- |
| Zacatecas-Los Angeles | Mexicana de Aviación | Volaris |
| Zacatecas-Oakland | Mexicana de Aviación | -- |
| Zihuatanejo-Mexico City | Click Mexicana | Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Interjet, and Magnicharter |
OMA can provide no assurance as to when other carriers will start flying the six routes operated only by Mexicana de Aviación, or as to when other carriers will be able to add sufficient capacity to carry the passengers previously carried by the Grupo Mexicana airlines.
Of OMA's consolidated revenues for the period January-July 2010, Mexicana de Aviación contributed 5.9%, Click Mexicana 5.0%, and Mexicana Link 1.6%.
As of today, Mexicana de Aviación owed OMA Ps. 3.6 million for airport services and rents, Click Mexicana owed Ps. 2.8 million, and Mexicana Link owed Ps. 1.1 million. Neither OMA nor its subsidiaries have received notification as creditors of Mexicana de Aviación, as part of the Mexican bankruptcy proceedings.
In addition, the three airlines have not remitted to OMA's airports a total of Ps. 123.0 million that these airlines collected from passengers for passenger charges.
OMA recommends that passengers holding tickets on flights of Mexicana de Aviación, Click Mexicana, or Mexicana Link contact the airlines directly regarding any questions or for more information.
For more information, please follow OMA on:
- Our webpage (http://www.oma.aero/es/prensa/comunicados-de-prensa.php)
- Twitter (http://twitter.com/OMAeropuertos)
- Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/OMA/137924482889484)
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, Mazatlán, 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 970 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 9001:2008. OMA's strategic shareholder members are ICA, Mexico's largest engineering, procurement, and construction company, and Aéroports de Paris Management, subsidiary of Aéroports 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 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.