Traveler count highest for a single month since ONT’s return to local ownership

(Ontario, California – June 14, 2023) – Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed nearly 557,000 passengers in May, the highest number in a single month since the airport returned to local ownership more than six years ago, officials announced.

The May total represents a nearly 7.3% increase overall. The number of domestic passengers grew by 4% to more than 522,000 while international air travel more than doubled to 34,310.

The previous single month high was reported in October 2022, when 541,000 passengers flew into or out of ONT.

Year to date, the number of passengers increased by 13.2%, to 2.4 million overall. The number of domestic passengers rose by 10.5% to nearly 2.3 million, while international travelers increased almost by 90%, to more than 138,000.

“Ontario continues to set an example in the aviation industry as an airport that has not only recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is setting record highs in passenger volume,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “May was a new high-water mark for passenger travel through Ontario in a single month since the airport’s transfer to local ownership in 2016. Our airline partners and customers can rest assured that we are always ready and able to welcome even more passengers while continuing to deliver an airport experience that meets and exceeds expectations.”

Ontario’s success story was noted this week by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Shipments of commercial freight and mail totaled more than 61,000 tons, a decrease of 8.3%. Over the first five months of the year, cargo volume declined by 9.6% to 304,000 tons compared with the same period last year. Decreases in cargo volume persist as a result of global economic conditions.