Surge of international travel fueled passenger increase

(Ontario, California – September 18, 2025) – Passenger and cargo volumes edged up at Ontario International Airport (ONT) in August, extending its run of year-over-year gains to 54 and 14 consecutive months, respectively.

The Southern California gateway posted 646,820 passengers for August, an increase of 0.5% over last year, while air cargo was more than 69,000 tons, up about 1%.

The August passenger total included 592,870 domestic customers and 53,950 international travelers – the latter representing an increase of 53.7% year-over-year. ONT has experienced a surge in international travel since the launch of new air service to Mexico and Taiwan earlier in the summer.

Ontario officials reported more than 4.6 million passengers from January through August, 1.0% more than the same period last year. The number of domestic passengers rose by 0.1% to 4.3 million while international travel volume increased by 14.2% to 348,000.

The air carriers which accounted for the greatest passenger shares in August were:

1. Southwest Airlines (34.2%)
2. American Airlines (14.9%)
3. Frontier Airlines (10.6%)
4. United Airlines (10.2%)
5. Delta Air Lines (9.9%)

Air cargo tonnage rose in August by almost 1% compared with the same month last year. Mail volume increased by 116% while freight declined by 8%.

From January through August, air cargo tonnage was 9.2% higher than the same period in 2024 with mail volume up by 264% and freight down by nearly 4%.

“The fact total passenger and air cargo levels were still on the rise speaks to the resilience of our aviation and shipping partners and the strong appeal of our world-class facilities and services, not to mention the trust bestowed upon us by the Southern California communities we serve,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority.