OMA’s February 2007 Total Passenger Traffic Increases 12.1%
MONTERREY, Mexico, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 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 reached 1.01 million in February 2007, an increase of 12.1% compared to February 2006, driven by a 19.3% increase in domestic traffic. The airports with the most significant increases were Monterrey, Torreon, Culiacan, and Chihuahua.
Domestic traffic in February 2007 totaled 767,149 passengers, an increase of 19.3% compared to the prior year. The new airlines that have entered the market since the end of 2005 (Alma, Aladia, Avolar, Interjet VivaAerobus, and Volaris) continue to positively impact OMA’s passenger traffic.
International traffic was 244,645 passengers in February 2007, a 5.8% reduction compared to February 2006. The airports in Chihuahua, Torreon, and Culiacan recorded increases. The cancellation of international routes by Aviacsa and Aerocalifornia last year continued to affect our airports generally, with the most significant impacts on Monterrey, Durango, and Mazatlan. The decrease in traffic in the tourist destinations was principally due to a decrease in charter flights during the month.
Total Passengers* (Thousands) Feb-06 Feb-07 Change % Jan-Feb 06 Jan-Feb 07 Change % Domestic 643.1 767.1 19.3 1287.8 1554.3 20.7 International 259.6 244.6 (5.8) 538.9 511.8 (5.0) OMA Total 902.7 1,011.8 12.1 1,826.6 2,066.1 13.1 * Terminal passengers: excludes transit passengers By airport
Monterrey, OMA’s principal airport, served 427,765 passengers in February 2007, an increase of 16.2% compared to the same month of 2006. Domestic traffic benefited from the traffic generated by Aviacsa and the new airlines. VivaAerobus added a third plane to its fleet, and effective February 25 was operating a total of 14 domestic routes from Monterrey. On the other hand, the cancellation of Aviacsa’s routes from Monterrey to Chicago and Miami continued to affect international traffic at the airport.
OMA’s regional airport with the most significant growth was Culiacan, where February 2007 passenger traffic increased 29.8% (+17,534 passengers), with a 30.8% increase in domestic traffic and a 6.9% increase in international traffic. Domestic traffic benefited from increased activity by operators such as Mexicana, VivaAerobus, and Avolar. International passenger traffic increased as a result of Delta’s new route to Los Angeles, which started in January.
Total Passengers* (Thousands) Feb-06 Feb-07 Change % Jan-Feb 06 Jan-Feb 07 Change % Acapulco 97.9 105.2 7.5 197.5 218.7 10.7 Ciudad Juarez 49.5 57.4 16.0 100.5 116.9 16.3 Culiacan 58.9 76.4 29.8 120.9 150.9 24.8 Chihuahua 44.6 56.0 25.7 89.5 110.7 23.7 Durango 14.1 17.5 24.3 30.8 37.3 21.0 Mazatlan 82.5 80.3 (2.7) 166.6 158.8 (4.7) Monterrey 368.3 427.8 16.2 740.9 879.3 18.7 Reynosa 8.7 8.7 0.1 18.6 17.9 (3.7) San Luis Potosi 16.8 15.6 (7.2) 34.5 32.5 (5.6) Tampico 33.7 41.8 23.9 67.4 82.5 22.4 Torreon 26.9 36.4 35.1 54.1 72.3 33.7 Zacatecas 21.6 17.3 (19.9) 46.3 39.0 (15.7) Zihuatanejo 79.3 71.4 (9.9) 159.0 149.3 (6.1) OMA Total 902.7 1,011.8 12.1 1,826.6 2,066.1 13.1 Domestic Passengers* (Thousands) Feb-06 Feb-07 Change % Jan-Feb 06 Jan-Feb 07 Change % Acapulco 44.8 52.8 17.7 94.0 110.7 17.7 Ciudad Juarez 49.4 57.4 16.0 100.4 116.8 16.4 Culiacan 56.4 73.8 30.8 115.1 145.2 26.2 Chihuahua 39.6 50.7 28.0 78.2 99.4 27.1 Durango 11.9 16.1 35.2 24.2 32.9 35.8 Mazatlan 26.2 26.9 2.7 53.4 52.1 (2.5) Monterrey 300.4 365.1 21.5 591.9 745.5 25.9 Reynosa 8.7 8.7 0.1 18.6 17.9 (3.7) San Luis Potosi 12.0 10.9 (9.1) 23.4 21.7 (7.6) Tampico 29.3 38.3 30.5 58.0 75.2 29.6 Torreon 22.3 31.6 41.5 44.0 60.7 38.0 Zacatecas 16.3 13.1 (19.9) 33.1 27.4 (17.3) Zihuatanejo 25.6 21.9 (14.4) 53.3 48.9 (8.3) OMA Total 643.1 767.1 19.3 1,287.8 1,554.3 20.7 International Passengers* (Thousands) Feb-06 Feb-07 Change % Jan-Feb 06 Jan-Feb 07 Change % Acapulco 53.0 52.5 (1.1) 103.4 108.0 4.4 Ciudad Juarez 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 Culiacan 2.5 2.6 6.9 5.8 5.7 (1.7) Chihuahua 5.0 5.4 7.9 11.4 11.3 (0.3) Durango 2.2 1.4 (35.5) 6.6 4.3 (33.8) Mazatlan 56.3 53.4 (5.3) 113.2 106.7 (5.7) Monterrey 67.9 62.7 (7.7) 149.0 133.8 (10.2) Reynosa 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 San Luis Potosi 4.8 4.7 (2.4) 11.0 10.9 (1.4) Tampico 4.4 3.5 (20.2) 9.3 7.3 (21.8) Torreon 4.6 4.8 3.8 10.1 11.6 14.9 Zacatecas 5.3 4.2 (20.1) 13.2 11.7 (11.9) Zihuatanejo 53.7 49.5 (7.7) 105.7 100.4 (5.0) OMA Total 259.6 244.6 (5.8) 538.9 511.8 (5.0) * Terminal passengers: excludes transit passengers 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 9001:2001. OMA’s strategic shareholder members are ICA, Mexico’s largest engineering, procurement, and construction company, and 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, http://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 Prospectus 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.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V.
CONTACT: Victor Bravo Martin, CFO of OMA, +52-81-8625-4300, ext. 308,vbravo@oma.aero; or Daniel Wilson of Zemi Communications, +1-212-689-9560,dbmwilson@zemi.com, for OMA
Web site: http://www.oma.aero/