ASUR duty-free revenues surge 51%

Gavin Lipsith

Print Article E-Mail Article E-Mail Author

The Mexican airport authority records strong gains in 2004 as a result of traffic growth and new store openings

Mexican airport authority ASUR has announced duty-free revenues up 51.2% year-on-year in 2004. The growth, which ASUR attributed primarily to a 20% increase in international passenger traffic across its nine airports, helped the authority achieve a 69.4% increase in commercial revenues and total revenue growth of 21.9%.

The company's commercial operations ended the year strongly, with several shop openings in Cancun airport contributing to a 40.2% increase in duty-free revenues and a 259.9% rise in general retail revenues.

International traffic grew particularly strongly at Cancun and Cozumel, with increases of 19% and 34% respectively for 2004. ASUR added that the transfer of convenience stores to direct operation at Cancun had also boosted retail revenues.

The company said that a rental dispute with Dufry over shops in Cancun terminal one was close to resolution, and that it expected an agreement in the first quarter of 2005. It also noted that a recently formed company was seeking a concession to build and operate a new international airport in the Mayan Riviera region of Quintana Roo, the Mexican state. ASUR said it did not know whether the project would be approved, or when an airport could be built, but said that if it happened it could adversely affect revenues and passenger traffic at ASUR's airports.