Air cargo volume remained strong with 15% increase

(Ontario, California – August 18, 2025) – Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed more than 680,000 passengers in July, the highest July ever and the second greatest monthly count in the airport’s history, officials announced.

The Southern California gateway reported 681,912 passengers last month, surpassing the previous July high recorded in 2007. The monthly total was 2.3% higher than in July a year ago.

The July figure included 624,959 domestic fliers, a decrease of 0.7%, and 56,954 international travelers, a 53% increase which coincided with Volaris adding nonstop service from ONT to three new destinations in Mexico, and eclipsed the previous record set a month earlier when STARLUX Airlines began nonstop service to Taipei, Taiwan.

Ontario officials also reported more than 4 million passengers over the first seven months of the year, 1.1% more than the same period in 2024. The number of domestic passengers rose by 0.5% to 3.7 million while international travel volume increased by 9% to almost 295,000.

“Month after month, Ontario International continues to prove what’s possible when a community believes in its hometown airport,” said Atif Elkadi, OIAA’s chief executive officer. “Fifty-three consecutive months of growth isn’t just a statistic it’s a reflection of the trust and pride our region places in ONT. This all-time record for international travelers shows that we’ve built more than an airport; we’ve built a thriving global gateway that connects Southern California to the world and welcomes the world to our home.”

The air carriers with the greatest passenger shares in July were:

1. Southwest Airlines (33.8%)
2. American Airlines (15.3%)
3. Frontier Airlines (10.7%)
4. United Airlines (10.3%)
5. Delta Air Lines (10.1%)

Air cargo tonnage rose in July by 15.7% compared with July last year. Freight volume increased by 4.4% — the first year-over year increase in 2025. Mail volume increased by 202.4%, the result of the U.S. Postal Service awarding a major mail handling contract to United Parcel Service which operates a large cargo air hub in Ontario.

From January through July, air cargo tonnage was 10.5% greater than the same period a year ago driven by a 302.2% in mail volumes.

“The growth in freight tonnage reflects the enduring strength of the Inland Empire as one of the world’s premier supply chain hubs,” Elkadi said. “As the 10th largest cargo airport in the nation, ONT is more than a point on the map we are a driving force for jobs, economic opportunity, and global connectivity, ensuring our freight partners can meet the needs of communities here at home and around the world.”