MONTERREY, Mexico, Feb. 9, 2009 (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 total passenger traffic (terminal passengers) at its 13 airports decreased 14.8% in January 2009, as compared to January 2008.
Total Passengers*
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(Thousand) Jan-08 Jan-09 Change %
Domestic 922.9 788.0 (14.6)
International 251.7 212.3 (15.7)
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OMA Total 1,174.6 1,000.3 (14.8)
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* Terminal passengers: excludes transit passengers.
Domestic traffic in January 2009 decreased 14.6% (-134,943 pax), compared to the same month of 2008. With the exception of Zihuatanejo, which recorded an 11.7% increase, the other airports of the Group recorded reductions in domestic traffic. The most affected airports were Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Culiacan, Mazatlan, and Durango. The common factors were: a) the departure from the market of Aerocalifornia, Avolar, Aladia, and Alma in the second half of 2008; and b) the reduction in frequencies or cancellation of routes by Aviacsa and VivaAerobus. The opening of the Culiacan-La Paz and Culiacan-Los Cabos routes in January 2009 by VivaAerobus is noteworthy.
International traffic decreased 15.7% (-39,430 pax) in January 2009 compared to January 2008. The airports of Monterrey, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Torreon, San Luis Potosi, and Culiacan were the most affected, principally because of the reduction in frequencies and cancellation of routes by Continental, American, American Eagle, Delta, Aviacsa, Alaska, and Frontier.
By airport
Monterrey, OMA's principal airport, served 417,830 passengers in January 2009, a reduction of 16.4% (-81,886 pax) compared to the same month of the prior year. Domestic passenger traffic decreased 15.0%, and international passenger traffic decreased 24.0% as the result of the end of operations by several domestic airlines and the reduction in frequencies or cancellation of routes by U.S. carriers.
Subsequent event
On February 4, 2009, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) granted a concession to Grupo Mexicana to operate a new airline called Mexicana Inter S.A. de C.V. This new airline will initially operate 13 Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, each seating 50 passengers. Grupo Mexicana invested US$7 million in the launch of the new airline, which will serve as a feeder to Mexicana and Click Mexicana, including routes at four OMA airports: Monterrey, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, and Torreon.
The complete traffic report is available at 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 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.