Solid retail performance offsets fall in revenues at ASUR

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The airport operator’s results for the first nine months of 2009 were boosted by a good performance of duty-free stores at its locations

Airports company Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR) has recorded a 2.67% decline in total revenues in the third quarter of 2009 to Ps714,700 ($54,600), with non-aeronautical revenues falling by 1.85% to Ps242,300 ($18,500) compared with the same period the previous year. Commercial revenues fell by 0.2% to Ps207,400 ($15,850) despite a 13.9% drop in passenger numbers to 3.6m, while commercial revenues per passenger grew by 14.8% to Ps55.88 ($4.27).

Of all commercial activities, sales in the duty-free stores at ASUR’s airports were the least hit by the decline, with a 0.75% drop in revenue compared with the same quarter in 2008. A new gift shop, Mas Business, also opened at Cancún International airport in April.

Total revenues for the nine months ending September 30 2009 fell by 1.45% to Ps2.38m ($181,900) mainly due to a 3.64% decline in aeronautical services’ revenue as a result of the 14.3% drop in passenger traffic in the period. An increase in non-aeronautical revenues of nearly 3% helped to partially offset that impact, with commercial revenues up 5.25% to Ps710,130 ($54,270), boosted by a 7.8% rise in turnover from duty-free stores and a 7.25% rise in revenue from retail operations. Total commercial revenue per passenger grew 22.8% to Ps58.79 ($4.49) in the first nine months of the year.

ASUR holds the concessions to operate, maintain and develop the airports of Cancún, Mérida, Cozumel, Villahermosa, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Huatulco, Tapachula and Minatitlan in the Southeast of Mexico.