MONTERREY, Mexico, Jan. 7, 2014 (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 8.8% in December 2013, as compared to December 2012. Domestic traffic increased 10.0%, and international traffic increased 2.0%.
Of total December traffic, 97.8% was commercial aviation and 2.2% was general aviation.
| Total Passengers* | ||||||
| Dec-12 | Dec-13 | Change % | Jan-Dec 2012 | Jan-Dec 2013 | Change % | |
| Domestic | 925,811 | 1,018,834 | 10.0 | 10,769,224 | 11,459,250 | 6.4 |
| International | 179,445 | 183,566 | 2.3 | 1,825,145 | 1,833,223 | 0.4 |
| OMA Total | 1,105,256 | 1,202,400 | 8.8 | 12,594,369 | 13,292,473 | 5.5 |
| * Terminal passengers: includes passengers on the three types of aviation (commercial, charter, and general aviation), and excludes passengers in transit. | ||||||
Domestic traffic increased in twelve airports in December, with the most noteworthy increases in Monterrey (+6.0%; +25,675 passengers), Culiacan (+20.3%; +21,418), and Torreon (+41.1%; +11,663). Monterrey increased traffic on the Mexico City, Toluca, and Guadalajara routes. Culiacan increased traffic on the Tijuana and Mexico City routes. Torreon increased traffic on its Mexico City, Cancun, and Guadalajara routes. Domestic traffic decreased in Zacatecas (-2.6%; -781 passengers) as a result of a reduction in Mexico City traffic. In December, Volaris opened the San Luis Potosi – Cancun route; VivaAerobus opened the Mazatlan – La Paz and Monterrey – La Paz routes; and Interjet started operating the Monterrey – Hermosillo route.
International traffic increased most significantly in Zihuatanejo (+17.8%; +3,271 passengers) as a result of increases in traffic to Minneapolis and Calgary, and Zacatecas (+26.5%; +1,693) as a result of increases on the routes to Dallas and Los Angeles. The most significant reductions were in Monterrey (-1.7%; -1,503 passengers) as a result of lower traffic on the Dallas and San Antonio routes, and in Culiacan (-50.5%; -1,197) as a result of a reduction in Los Angeles traffic. In December, Aeroméxico started operating the Monterrey – Chicago route.
The number of flight operations (takeoffs and landings) in December increased 0.1% as compared to the same month of last year. The number of domestic operations increased 0.5% and international operations decreased 2.5%.
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 information and expectations and projections about future events. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "estimate," 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 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 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). For more information, visit http://ir.oma.aero .
Jose Luis Guerrero Cortes OMA, CFO +52.81.8625.4300 ext.308 Daniel Wilson Zemi Communications +1.212.689.9560
