Press Room

Posted on: Tue, 12/13/2022 - 05:00

(Ontario, California – December 13, 2022) – Southern California’s Ontario International Airport once again exceeded pre-pandemic passenger levels in November, extending its streak to nine consecutive months and edging closer to its busiest overall year since 2008.

The airport drew more than 512,000 air travelers last month with domestic and international volumes of more than 491,000 and 20,000, respectively. Domestic travel grew by 3.4%, while international travel was the highest for any single month since before the pandemic. The November total was 2% higher than the same month in 2019 and nearly 7% higher than last year.

On a year-to-date basis, more than 5.2 million passengers traveled through ONT, 3.8% more than the same period in 2019. The January-November total was 30% greater than in 2021. At this pace, Ontario will post its highest annual passenger level since 2008’s 6.2 million.

"November continued our run of strong growth on both passenger volume and cargo movement," said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. “While many airports continue to work toward restoring commercial air service to pre-pandemic levels, Ontario is showing month after month what full recovery looks like. The airport’s performance has been remarkable to say the least.”

 

Passenger Totals	Nov 2022	Nov 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Domestic	491,747	475,453	3.43%	5,090,464	4,794,636	6.2%
International	20,298	26,186	-22.49%	172,827	274,307	-37.0%
Total	512,045	501,639	2.07%	5,263,291	5,068,943	3.8%

 

Passenger Totals	Nov 2022	Nov 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Domestic	491,747	465,267	5.69%	5,090,464	3,926,928	29.6%
International	20,298	14,271	42.23%	172,827	106,549	62.2%
Total	512,045	479,538	6.78%	5,263,291	4,033,477	30.5%

 

Air cargo shipments totaled more than 74,000 tons in November, 10.3% greater than the same month in 2019. From January through November, ONT’s shipments of freight and mail totaled more than 761,000 tons, almost 10% higher than the first 11 months of 2019.

 

Air cargo (tonnage)	Nov 2022	Nov 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Freight	70,374	66,319	6.12%	712,377	671,817	6.0%
Mail	4,307	1,338	221.81%	49,501	21,116	134.4%
Total	74,682	67,657	10.38%	761,878	692,933	9.9%

 

Air cargo (tonnage)	Nov 2022	Nov 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Freight	70,374	70,352	0.03%	712,377	748,166	-4.8%
Mail	4,307	5,504	-21.74%	49,501	44,969	10.1%
Total	74,682	75,855	-1.55%	761,878	793,135	-3.9%

 

“Ontario experienced a double-digit increase in cargo in November compared with November 2019 and almost 10% on a year-to-date basis, further demonstrating its success as a cargo hub and importance to the Southern California economy,” Elkadi said.

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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).