Southern California gateway welcomed 1.4 million fliers in first quarter

(Ontario, California – April 17, 2024) – Passenger volume at Ontario International Airport (ONT) surged 11% to 557,000 in March and nearly 10% during the first three months of the year, according to airport officials.

Last month, ONT welcomed almost 516,000 domestic passengers and more than 41,000 international fliers, increases of 8.3% and 66%, respectively

“We continued to fly high in March with double-digit passenger growth year-over-year as more travelers chose Ontario International and our world class services and amenities,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “The ongoing run of strong passenger increases, as well as new air service offerings recently announced by our airline partners, bodes well for the spring and summer travel seasons.”

The air carriers with the greatest passenger shares at ONT in March were:

1. Southwest Airlines (37.7%)
2. American Airlines (16.3%)
3. Frontier Airlines (12.1%)
4. Delta Air Lines (9.7%)
5. Alaska Airlines (7.3%)

For the first quarter of calendar year 2024, ONT’s passenger count increased by 9.9% to more than 1.4 million. The number of domestic travelers was up by 6.4% and international passengers almost 75% higher, compared with the same period last year.

Freight shipments declined by 3.9% in March and 1% for the first quarter.

“Freight tonnage was essentially flat over the first quarter of 2024,” Elkadi said. “We are optimistic that as economic forces continue to improve, air freight will return to positive growth over the course of the year.”