Ontario International Airport passenger volumes continued to soar in September, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 10%

News provided by

Oct 13, 2022, 08:00 ET

More than 500,000 travelers flew into or out of ONT for a 5^th straight month

ONTARIO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California's Ontario International Airport (ONT) surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the seventh straight month in September as passenger volumes continued to climb to levels not seen since 2007, airport officials announced.

Southern California's Ontario International Airport exceeded pre-pandemic passenger levels for the seventh straight month in September.

Nearly 517,000 air travelers flew into or out of ONT during the month, 10.15% more than the same month in 2019. It marked the fifth consecutive month in which passenger volumes exceeded a half million, and moved Ontario closer to a possible 6 million passengers by year's end. The September total also represented a 6,000-passenger increase over August – typically a peak month for air travel.

"Ontario International continues to prove itself as the airport of choice for millions of Southern Californians. The double-digit increase in passenger volume last month reinforces the important role we play in meeting the air travel needs of one of the most robust population and economic centers in the country," said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners and Mayor pro Tem of City of Ontario.

Through the first nine months of the year, ONT welcomed 4.2 million passengers – 3.6% more than the same period in 2019 and 37.6% above last year. At this pace, the airport should well exceed the 5.6 million passengers who flew into or out of ONT in 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic. According to Ontario's seat capacity projections for the next six months, nonstop flights are expected to increase by 1.6% over the October 2019-March 2020 time period, nonstop seat capacity is projected to rise by 7.9%, and available seat miles (ASMs) are projected to increase by 11.4%.

This continues an impressive trend that began with the airport's return to local ownership in 2016. During those first three years – before COVID-19 disrupted air travel globally – ONT experienced a nearly 33% increase in passenger volumes.

"We've been able to pick up where we left off before the pandemic, increasing flights and destinations and providing travelers with amenities and a customer experience they won't get anywhere else," said Atif Elkadi, OIAA CEO.

Passenger Totals	Sep 2022	Sep 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Domestic	502,540	446,169	12.63 %	4,072,713	3,838,865	6.1 %
International	14,405	23,155	-37.79 %	136,803	223,889	-38.9 %
Total	516,945	469,324	10.15 %	4,209,516	4,062,754	3.6 %

Passenger Totals	Sep 2022	Sep 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Domestic	502,540	440,947	13.97 %	4,072,713	2,980,026	36.7 %
International	14,405	12,227	17.81 %	136,803	79,186	72.8 %
Total	516,945	453,174	14.07 %	4,209,516	3,059,212	37.6 %

The September numbers also underscored Ontario's role as a global logistics hub. Shipments of air cargo totaled more than 70,000 tons during the month, 14.4% higher than the same month in 2019. Last month's tonnage was essentially flat when compared with September a year ago.

For the first nine months of the year, air cargo volume was more than 618,000 tons, 11% more than the same period in 2019.

Air cargo (tonnage)	Sep 2022	Sep 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Freight	65,831	59,918	9.87 %	577,554	539,062	7.1 %
Mail	4,196	1,271	230.12 %	41,059	18,221	125.3 %
Total	70,027	61,189	14.44 %	618,613	557,283	11.0 %

Air cargo (tonnage)	Sep 2022	Sep 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Freight	65,831	66,380	-0.83 %	577,554	609,952	-5.3 %
Mail	4,196	4,269	-1.71 %	41,059	34,426	19.3 %
Total	70,027	70,649	-0.88 %	618,613	644,378	-4.0 %

"Ontario International cargo shipments showed strong growth in September and on a year-to-date basis compared with 2019 as our shipping partners continued to show confidence in our airport as a commercial hub for Southern California," said Ron Loveridge, vice president of the OIAA board.

About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to more than two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)
The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).