Southern California gateway recorded eighth straight month of better than pre-pandemic numbers

(Ontario, California – November 14, 2022) – Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed more than 541,000 airline passengers in October – the highest total in a single month since its 2016 transfer to local ownership – and extended its run of better than pre-pandemic levels, airport officials announced.

The Southern California gateway posted a 7.3% increase in total air travelers in October compared with October 2019, the eighth consecutive month in which the number of air travelers was higher than before the pandemic and the sixth straight month above 500,000 passengers. Year over year, ONT’s October total grew by 9.5%, with increases in domestic and international passengers of 9.2% and 20%, respectively.

Through the first 10 months of the year, ONT served 4.75 million passengers, 4% more than the same period in 2019 and 33.7% higher than last year.

“Air travelers and our airline partners continued to show tremendous confidence in Ontario International in October, as our airport recorded the highest number of passengers in a single month since we took ownership six years ago,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners and Mayor pro Tem of the City of Ontario. “Ontario is consistently exceeding pre-pandemic passenger volumes, which is a clear reflection of our airport’s robust recovery and the unyielding faith of air travelers in our ability to provide the hallmark hassle-free customer experience they expect.”

Air cargo shipments totaled more than 68,500 tons in October, a nearly 1% gain compared with October 2019. From January through October, ONT’s shipments of freight and mail were more than 687,000 tons, nearly 10% greater than the same period in 2019.

“Ontario International plays critical role in one of the world’s most robust supply chain hubs, creating jobs and economic opportunities across the Inland Empire and throughout Southern California,” said Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer.

Elkadi pointed to a newly released study by Oxford Economics which showed Ontario International generating $3.8 billion in annual economic activity, supporting 27,800 jobs and serving as the hub of a logistics network that produces $17.8 billion in economic output.