MONTERREY, Mexico, Jan. 12, 2011 (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 increased 1.8% in December 2010, as compared to December 2009. Domestic traffic increased 0.5%, and international traffic increased 8.0%. For the full year 2010, terminal passenger traffic increased 0.6% to 11.6 million passengers, with domestic traffic decreasing 0.5% and international traffic increasing 6.7%.
For the full year 2010, the airports with the largest passenger traffic increases were Monterrey, up 180,517, or 3.5%, and Chihuahua, up 82,958, or 11.1%. Airlines other than the three airlines of Grupo Mexicana increased traffic by 749,767 passengers during 2010, while the suspension of operations in August 2010 of Grupo Mexicana resulted in a reduction of 680,367 passengers. Victor Bravo, the CEO of OMA, noted, "While 2010 continued to be a difficult year for the air transport industry, OMA recorded a slight increase in full year passenger traffic as compared to 2009. The recent trends give us a positive outlook for passenger traffic in 2011."
Of total December traffic, 96.2% was commercial aviation, and 3.8% was general aviation. For the full year, the mix was 96.8% commercial aviation and 3.2% general aviation.
Domestic traffic increased in seven airports in December, with noteworthy increases at the Monterrey, Chihuahua, Zihuatanejo, and Tampico airports. In Monterrey, traffic increased principally on the routes to Mexico City and Cancun. In Chihuahua, traffic grew principally on the routes to Mexico City and Guadalajara. In Zihuatanejo, traffic benefitted from growth on the Toluca and Mexico City routes. In Tampico, traffic increased principally on the route to Monterrey. Domestic traffic decreased most in the airports of Acapulco, Mazatlan, Reynosa, and Torreon, where the principal factor was the suspension of operations by Grupo Mexicana. In Acapulco, Reynosa, and Torreon the largest reductions were on the Mexico City routes; in Mazatlan the route most affected was San Jose del Cabo.
For the full year 2010, domestic traffic increased at seven airports, with the most significant increases in Chihuahua and Monterrey. Traffic decreased most in Acapulco, Torreon, and Zihuatanejo.
International traffic increased in seven airports in December, most significantly at the Monterrey and San Luis Potosi airports. Monterrey increased traffic to Houston. San Luis traffic increased on the routes to Dallas and Houston. International traffic decreased most in Zacatecas and Mazatlan. Zacatecas was principally affected by the suspension of operations of Mexicana de Aviacion that reduced traffic to Los Angeles; Mazatlan had lower traffic on the route to Phoenix.
For the full year 2010, international traffic also increased at seven airports, with the most significant increases in Monterrey, San Luis Potosi, and Mazatlan. The largest reductions were in the Zihuatanejo and Acapulco airports.
The total number of flight operations (takeoffs and landings) in December increased 1.1% as compared to the prior year period. Domestic flights decreased 0.3%, and international flights rose 10.5%. For the full year 2010, flight operations increased 5.5%, with domestic flights increasing 4.8% and international flights rising 10.8%.
The full traffic report is available at
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 1,000 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 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). For more information, please visit us at:
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CONTACT: Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V. Jose Luis Guerrero Cortes, CFO +52.81.8625.4300 ext.308 jlguerrero@oma.aero Zemi Communications Daniel Wilson +1.212.689.9560 dbmwilson@zemi.com