Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Reports Passenger Traffic Decrease of 0.5% for May...

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Reports Passenger Traffic Decrease of 0.5%
for May 2008

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 6 /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 May 2008 compared to traffic figures for May 2007.
During May 2008, total terminal passengers decreased 0.5% compared to the
previous year; international passenger traffic increased 5.4%, while domestic
passenger traffic decreased 3.1% compared to May 2007.
Compared to May 2007, domestic terminal passenger traffic in May 2008
registered a net decrease of 41.1 thousand passengers, despite increased
passenger traffic at the airports of Guadalajara with 17.4 thousand
passengers, Los Cabos with 15.5 thousand passengers, Puerto Vallarta with
11.6 thousand passengers, Hermosillo with 4.9 thousand passengers and
Manzanillo with 1.6 thousand passengers. Together these airports represented
51.0 thousand additional passengers.
In the case of the Guadalajara airport, the increase in passenger traffic
was mainly due to the rise in traffic on the routes to and from Monterrey,
Toluca, Cancun, Hermosillo, Los Cabos, Culiacan, Puerto Vallarta and Puebla.
In the case of the Puerto Vallarta airport, this increase was due to an
increase in passengers on routes to and from Toluca and Monterrey.
In Los Cabos, the increase was mainly due to the growth in traffic to and
from Toluca, Guadalajara and Tijuana.
Additionally, traffic at the Hermosillo airport was driven by passengers
on routes to Tijuana, Guadalajara, Toluca, Puebla, Culiacan and Mexicali.
However, there was a decline of 92.2 thousand passengers at the airports
of Tijuana with 78.0 thousand passengers, La Paz with 17.6 thousand
passengers, Guanajuato with 14.6 thousand passengers, Los Mochis with
7.2 thousand passengers, Mexicali with 3.5 thousand passengers, Aguascalientes
with 2.4 thousand passengers, Morelia with 2.1 thousand passengers and
Manzanillo with 1.6 thousand passengers.
In the case of the Tijuana airport, this decline was principally due to a
reduction in traffic in the routes to Guadalajara, Mexico City, Culiacan,
Guanajuato, Monterrey, Morelia, La Paz and Uruapan. Part of decline can be
attributable to the substitution effect, since in 2007 certain price-sensitive
passengers chose to fly to the southern California area via Tijuana and are
currently flying to the U.S. directly from the airports of Guadalajara,
Guanajuato, Morelia and Uruapan. Additionally, this decrease was due to the
decline in operations from Aviacsa, Aeromexico and Aeromexico Connect at this
airport.
The decline at the Guanajuato airport was mostly due to a decrease in
traffic on the routes to Tijuana, Mexico City, Monterrey and Toluca. In the
case of Tijuana, the decline can be attributable to the substitution effect,
since in 2007 certain price-sensitive passengers chose to fly to the southern
California area via Tijuana and are currently flying to the U.S. directly. In
the case of Toluca, this was due to the fact that Volaris terminated the
operation of this route. In the case of Mexico City and Monterrey, the
decrease was mainly due to the fact that on May 12, Aviacsa ceased operations
out of the Guanajuato airport.
The reduction at the La Paz Airport was mostly due to a decline in traffic
on routes to Tijuana, Guadalajara, Culiacan, Mazatlan and Hermosillo, which
resulted from the cancellation of Avolar and Aeromexico flights. In the case
of Aeromexico, some of these routes were absorbed by Aeromexico Connect.
In the case of the Los Mochis airport, the decrease was caused by a
reduction in traffic on routes to and from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana
and Hermosillo, as well as a decrease in operations from Aeromexico Connect.
It is important to note the significant reductions from Aviacsa at many of
the Company's airports during the month of May and so far for 2008.
Additionally, beginning on May 12, Aviacsa ceased operations in the
Guanajuato, Morelia and Mexicali airports.
International terminal passenger traffic registered an increase
31.4 thousand passengers, or 5.4%, compared to May 2007.
This increase was attributable to higher international traffic at the
airports of Puerto Vallarta with 22.1 thousand passengers, Los Cabos with
10.1 thousand passengers, Guanajuato with 1.9 thousand passengers, Hermosillo
with 1.4 thousand passengers, Los Mochis with 0.4 thousand passengers and
Tijuana with 0.4 thousand additional passengers.
In the case of the Puerto Vallarta airport, this increase was due to the
increase in passenger traffic on the routes to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas,
Houston, San Francisco, Denver, and Atlanta, among others.
The increase at Los Cabos was due to higher passenger traffic on routes to
Phoenix, Houston, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Atlanta and Chicago.
It is important to mention that beginning May 27, Aeromexico initiated its
Tijuana-Shangai route with two weekly departures.
However, the following airports experienced declines in traffic: Morelia
with 2.3 thousand international passengers, Aguascalientes with 1.4 thousand
passengers, Manzanillo with 1.1 thousand passengers and La Paz with 0.2
thousand passengers.
In the case of the Morelia airport, this decline was due to a decrease in
traffic on routes to and from Chicago, San Jose (California) and Houston.
Low-Cost Carriers
At the close of May 2008, the weekly schedule of flights operated by LCC's
decreased by 45 weekly segments compared to April 2008, for a total of 926
frequencies and a total of 60 routes operated by these types of carriers. 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 May 2008, approximately 598.5 thousand passengers were transported by
the LCC's, representing approximately 46.29% of the total number of domestic
passengers for this month.
It is important to mention that, due to the reorganization of routes and
frequencies, several of the airlines have announced that they will add a
surcharge to existing fare prices. Thus, we believe this will adversely affect
those passengers that have high price sensitivity. Currently, we are unable
to predict the size of the impact that this measure will have on terminal
passenger growth.
Company Description:
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, 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
maliaga@aeropuertosgap.com.mx

In the U.S.
Maria Barona / Peter Majeski
i-advize Corporate Communications
Tel: 212 406 3690
gap@i-advize.com

SOURCE Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V.

In Mexico, Miguel Aliaga, Investor Relations Officer, Grupo Aeroportuario del
Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., +011-333-8801100, ext. 216,
maliaga@aeropuertosgap.com.mx; or In the U.S., Maria Barona or Peter Majeski,
both of i-advize Corporate Communications, +1-212-406-3690, gap@i-advize.com