Mexican airport operator GAP said on Thursday its April passenger traffic fell 5.3 percent, hit by Easter falling in March this year and amid economic weakness in the United States, Mexico's main trade partner.

GAP, which operates 12 airports along the Pacific coast region, including terminals at Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Tijuana, said Easter was in April in 2007 and skewed the comparison. Easter is a major holiday period in Mexico.

GAP said it continued to expect total traffic growth for 2008 at between 5 percent and 7 percent from last year.

Traffic growth in March was 9.1 percent, down from an expansion of close to 13 percent in January and February.