OMA reports a 9.6% increase in July 2012 passenger traffic

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 9.6% in July 2012, as compared to July 2011. Domestic traffic increased 9.9%, and international traffic increased 7.4%. Traffic volumes have increased for eleven months in a row, starting in September 2011, as the air transport industry in Mexico continues to recover.

Of total July traffic, 97.8% was commercial aviation and 2.2% was general aviation.

Domestic traffic increased in ten airports in July, with the most noteworthy increases in Monterrey (+13.7%), Culiacán (+14.8%), Reynosa (+43.4%), and Chihuahua (+10.1%). In Monterrey, traffic increased principally on the routes to Mexico City and Cancún. Culiacán traffic increased on the Tijuana route. The Reynosa and Chihuahua airports increased traffic on the Mexico City routes. The most significant reductions were at the Ciudad Juárez (-3.4%) and Acapulco (-3.0%) airports. In Ciudad Juárez, general aviation decreased. In Acapulco, traffic decreased on the routes to Toluca and Mexico City. VivaAerobus opened the Ciudad Juárez-Cancún and Monterrey-Cuernavaca routes during the month.

International traffic also increased in ten airports in July, with the most significant increases in Monterrey (+15.1%) and San Luis Potosí (+38.7%). In Monterrey, traffic benefited from the increase in passengers on the routes to San Antonio, Panama, and Las Vegas. San Luis Potosi traffic increased on the Houston route. The largest decrease was recorded in Mazatlán (-42.2%) as a result of reductions on the Dallas, Phoenix, and Toronto routes. Aeroméxico Connect started operating the Monterrey-Chicago route during the month.

The total number of flight operations (takeoffs and landings) in July 2012 decreased 1.0% as compared to the prior year period. Domestic flights decreased 1.0%, and international flights increased 1.7%.