OMA Reports July 2011 Passenger Traffic

MONTERREY, Mexico, Aug. 9, 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 decreased 0.9% in July 2011, as compared to July 2010. Domestic traffic increased 0.3%, and international traffic decreased 8.0%.

Of total July traffic, 97.2% was commercial aviation and 2.8% was general aviation.

Domestic traffic increased in six airports in July, with the most noteworthy increases in Monterrey (4.1%), Tampico (18.9%), Ciudad Juarez (9.2%), and Torreon (10.4%). In Monterrey, traffic increased principally on the Cancun, Mexico City, and Toluca routes. In Tampico, traffic increased on the Mexico City and Monterrey routes. In Ciudad Juarez, traffic increased on the Mexico City route. In Torreon, traffic increased on the route to Mexico City. It should be noted that during the month, routes opened between Monterrey and Chicago, Brownsville, San Jose del Cabo, and Mexico City. Traffic decreased most at the airports in Acapulco (-19.0%), Chihuahua (-12.5%), Zihuatanejo (-15.0%), and Zacatecas (-16.5%). In Acapulco, the reduction was primarily on the Mexico City and Guadalajara routes. In Chihuahua, the reduction was on the Toluca and Guadalajara routes. The reduction in Zihuatanejo was on the Mexico City route. The reduction in Zacatecas was on the Tijuana and Mexico City routes.

International traffic increased most significantly in Mazatlan (+86%), principally because of the start of operations of a route to Dallas. The greatest decreases were recorded in Acapulco (-53.7%), Zacatecas (-45.0%), Zihuatanejo (-29.2%), and Monterrey (-2.8%). Acapulco traffic decreased most on the Houston route. Zacatecas traffic decreased most on the Chicago and Los Angeles routes. Zihuatanejo traffic decreased principally on the Houston and Los Angeles routes. Monterrey traffic decreased most on the New York and Chicago routes.

The total number of flight operations (takeoffs and landings) in July decreased 6.8% as compared to the prior year period. Domestic flights decreased 6.5%, and international flights decreased 8.8%.

The full traffic report is available at http://ir.oma.aero.