GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) ("the Company" or "GAP") today announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of August 2008 compared to traffic figures for August 2007.
During August 2008, total terminal passengers decreased 13.9% compared to the previous year; international passenger traffic decreased 8.4%, while domestic passenger traffic decreased 16.3% compared to August 2007.
Compared to August 2007, domestic terminal passenger traffic in August 2008 registered a net decrease of 249.6 thousand passengers, despite increased passenger traffic at the airports of Los Cabos with 5.3 thousand passengers, Puerto Vallarta with 3.7 thousand passengers and Aguascalientes with 0.3 thousand passengers. Together these airports represented 9.3 thousand additional passengers.
In the case of the Puerto Vallarta airport, the increase was mainly due to an increase in passengers on routes to and from Toluca and Tijuana.
At the Los Cabos airport, the increase was mainly due to growth in traffic to and from Toluca and Guadalajara.
However, there was a decline of 258.9 thousand passengers, mainly from the airports of Tijuana with 126.5 thousand passengers, Guadalajara with 59.3 thousand passengers, Hermosillo with 16.9 thousand passengers, Mexicali with 16.2 thousand passengers, Morelia with 10.4 thousand passengers, Los Mochis with 9.5 thousand passengers, La Paz with 8.9 thousand passengers, Guanajuato with 8.2 thousand passengers and Manzanillo with 3.0 thousand passengers.
In the case of the Tijuana airport, this decline was principally due to a reduction in traffic on the routes to Guadalajara, Mexico City, Culiacan, Guanajuato, Morelia, Hermosillo, Aguascalientes, La Paz, Monterrey, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Uruapan, Los Mochis, Ciudad Juarez, Tepic and Colima. These decreases were mainly due to the decline in operations from Aviacsa, Aeromexico, Mexicana and Avolar on routes to and from the previously-mentioned cities.
The decline at the Guadalajara airport was due to a decrease in traffic on the routes to and from Tijuana, Mexicali, Los Mochis, Hermosillo, Cuernavaca, Puerto Vallarta, La Paz, Monterrey, Torreon and Ciudad Obregon.
The decline at the Hermosillo airport was due to a decrease in traffic on the routes to and from Monterrey, Tijuana and Guadalajara.
The decline at the Mexicali airport was principally due to the decrease in passengers on the routes to and from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Culiacan. This was due to Aviacsa's ceasing of operations at the Mexicali airport on May 12, 2008, which caused declines on the Mexico City and Guadalajara routes, as well as Vivaaerobus, which beginning in November 2007 ceased to operate the route to Monterrey.
In the case of the La Paz airport, the decline was mostly due to the decrease in traffic on the routes to and from Tijuana, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Culiacan, Hermosillo, Los Mochis and Mazatlan, caused by the fact that Avolar and Aeromexico ceased operations to this airport. It is worth mentioning that Volaris started operations at the La Paz airport on the routes to and from Tijuana and Guadalajara during August.
The decline at the Guanajuato airport was mostly due to a decrease in traffic on the routes to Tijuana, Monterrey, and Mexico City. In the case of the reduction in traffic on the routes to Mexico City and Monterrey, the decline was mainly due to the fact that on May 12, 2008 Aviacsa ceased operations from the Guanajuato airport.
The reduction at the Morelia airport was primarily due to the fact that Aviacsa ceased operating this route, as well as the decline in operations of Aeromexico and Vivaaerobus compared to 2007.
In the case of the Los Mochis airport, the decrease was caused by the reduction in traffic on routes to and from Mexico City, Tijuana, Guadalajara, La Paz, Chihuahua, Ciudad Obregon and Hermosillo, as well as a decrease in operations from Aeromexico Connect.
It is important to note that on July 24, 2008, the Mexican Civil Aviation Bureau (DGAC) suspended Aerocalifornia's operations, which represented 6.1% of GAP's total traffic. Aerocalifornia operated at five of the Company's 12 airports, representing over 40% of total traffic at the La Paz and Los Mochis airports, which had only two exclusive routes. As of today, Aerocalifornia has not restarted operations.
Avolar was also suspended due to non-payment for rights to use national air space. Avolar represented approximately 5.1% of GAP's total passenger traffic and 17% and 25% of total traffic in the airports of Tijuana and Morelia, respectively. Avolar's hub is located at the Tijuana airport. On August 8, 2008, Avolar re-initiated operations.
International terminal passenger traffic decreased 55.0 thousand passengers, or 8.4%, compared to August 2007.
However, the following airports experienced an increase in traffic: Puerto Vallarta with 8.3 thousand passengers and Hermosillo with 0.9 thousand.
The increase at the Puerto Vallarta airport was due to the increase in passenger traffic on the routes to Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Newark, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.
On the other hand, the following airports experienced decreases in international passenger traffic: Guadalajara with 33.4 thousand passengers, Guanajuato with 10.0 thousand passengers, Los Cabos with 9.0 thousand passengers, Aguascalientes with 4.3 thousand passengers, Manzanillo with 3.0 thousand passengers, Morelia with 2.2 thousand passengers, La Paz with 1.6 thousand passengers, Los Mochis with 0.6 thousand passengers and Tijuana with 0.2 thousand passengers.
In the case of the Guadalajara airport, the decrease was primarily due to the decline in passengers to and from Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Oakland, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Ontario and Portland.
The decrease at the Guanajuato airport was due to the decline in traffic to and from Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta.
In the case of Los Cabos, the decrease was due to a decline in passenger traffic on routes to and from Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Low-Cost Carriers
At the close of August 2008, the weekly schedule of flights operated by LCC's decreased by 83 weekly segments compared to July 2008, for a total of 886 frequencies. The decline in frequencies was mainly due to a restructuring of routes and frequencies by the airlines, with the objective of increasing profitability as a result of the highly competitive environment and the increasing cost of jet fuel.
In August 2008, approximately 662.1 thousand passengers were transported by the LCC's, representing approximately 35.23% of the total number of domestic passengers for this month.
Company Description:
Grupo Aeroportuario del PacÃfico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates twelve airports throughout Mexico's Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAP's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "PAC" and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "GAP".
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, and are based on management's current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "plans" and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial conditions, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the "Ley del Mercado de Valores", GAP has implemented a "whistleblower" program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that may involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 800-759-0045. GAP's Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation.
For more information, visit: http://www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/ or contact:
In Mexico
Miguel Aliaga, Investor Relations Officer
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V.
Tel: 01 (333) 8801100 ext 216
