Ontario International Airport welcomed nearly 5.3 million passengers through September; on pace for 7 million for the year

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Oct 22, 2026, 08:00 ET

ONTARIO, Calif., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed almost 5.3 million passengers over the first nine months of 2026 and remains on pace for 7 million passengers over the full year. This represents a more than 65% increase in passenger volumes since 2016 when the airport transitioned to local control.

The Southern California aviation gateway reported more than 5,274,000 travelers from January through September 2026, essentially even with prior year. International passenger volumes were up nearly 28% from the year before.

Southern California's Ontario International Airport welcomed 5.3 million passengers through the first nine months of 2026.

"While passenger volumes declined 2.8% in September, our overall performance remains strong, with nearly 5.3 million travelers through the first nine months of the year and international traffic growing by almost 28%," said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "Airlines continue to adjust capacity in response to higher operating costs, and ONT is not immune to those industry pressures. However, the strength of our market and the progress we've made over the past decade give us every reason to remain confident. As we approach ten years of local control, our focus remains on expanding air service, enhancing the passenger experience and positioning ONT for continued growth."

Ontario International saw more than 582,000 passengers in September, a slight decrease of 2.8% compared with the same month in 2025. International passenger volume grew by 5.4% to nearly 47,000.

The decrease in September volume is in line with a small reduction in available seats offered by airlines at ONT as they manage higher fuel costs.

Passenger Totals	Sep 2026	Sep 2025	Change	YTD 2026	YTD 2025	Change
Domestic	535,481	554,651	-3.5 %	4,771,782	4,885,308	-2.3 %
International	46,834	44,435	5.4 %	502,786	393,035	27.9 %
Total	582,315	599,086	-2.8 %	5,274,568	5,278,343	-0.1 %

Air carriers with the greatest passenger shares in September were:

Southwest Airlines (36.5%)
American Airlines (12.4%)
Frontier Airlines (10.9%)
United Airlines (10.9%)
Alaska Airlines (9.8%)

Meanwhile, cargo shipments totaled more than 649,000 tons over the first nine months of 2026, a 7.3% increase over the same period in 2025. Cargo volume in September rose to more than 74,000 tons, a 13.2% increase over September last year. Commercial freight volume increased by 16.9% to more than 64,000 tons and shipments of mail declined by 6.5% to 9,700 tons.

Air cargo (tonnage)	Sep 2026	Sep 2025	Change	YTD 2026	YTD 2025	Change
Freight	64,485	55,143	16.9 %	558,195	507,031	10.1 %
Mail	9,767	10,443	-6.5 %	90,838	98,064	-7.4 %
Total	74,251	65,587	13.2 %	649,034	605,095	7.3 %

Ontario International has outperformed air cargo hubs worldwide in 2026 which experienced more modest increases of 3% in September and 9% for the year-to-date.

About Ontario International Airport
Ranked as the second most popular mid-sized airport by J.D. Power, Ontario International Airport (ONT) serves more than 7 million passengers per year and offers nonstop service to more than two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. ONT is owned and operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County. More information is available at flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X and Instagram.

OIAA Media Contact:
Steve Lambert, (909) 841-7527 [email protected]

SOURCE Ontario International Airport