Summary
- Ontario International Airport (ONT) saw a significant increase in passenger traffic this year.
- Airlines were able to increase passenger numbers by 14% in July thanks to additional seats and rising demand.
- Last month, the airport recorded 41 consecutive months of growth.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) has experienced a record year in terms of passenger traffic. Passenger numbers at the Southern California airport have increased by almost four million so far this year.
Last month was significant as the airport handled over 14% more passengers than in the same period in 2023. Officials attributed the increase in numbers to airlines adding additional seats and rising demand.
Just below the all-time record
ONT said Monday it welcomed a total of 666,322 travelers in July, up 14.4% from July 2023. That also broke the record for a single month since the airport passed into local hands in 2016. The performance was just shy of the all-time record of 693,000 passengers set in August 2007. Among the more than 666,000 passengers handled last month, 629,000 were domestic travelers, up 16.7% from last year.
Photo: Ontario International Airport
Southwest Airlines had the largest market share last month, carrying 33.7% of passengers. Frontier Airlines came in second with 17.6% of the airport’s passenger capacity. American Airlines carried 14.7% of travelers, while Delta Air Lines handled just under 10%. United Airlines rounded out the airport’s top five, carrying 7.7% of passengers during the month.
Impressive performance compared to last year
During the first seven months of the year, nearly 4 million travelers passed through ONT’s Terminals 4 and 2, an increase of 11.6% over the same period last year. A total of 3.7 million people flew domestically, while 270,000 took international flights, representing year-on-year increases of 10.9% and 23%, respectively.
July marked the 41st consecutive month of year-on-year passenger growth. ONT CEO Atif Elkadi spoke about the airport’s record performance.
“Our year-over-year growth is now 41 months long as our airline partners and air travelers continue to demonstrate their strong preference for Ontario International Airport,” said Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “Airlines are offering more seats in more locations to meet the increasing demand for air travel in the Inland Empire, a popular region to live and work that has experienced significant population growth in recent years, and the higher passenger numbers month after month attest to that.”
Federal grant of $4 million
The news comes as ONT is receiving an additional $4 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for infrastructure improvements as part of the state’s 2024 Airport Improvement Program. ONT officials announced Wednesday that the airport has been awarded $4,090,060 to fund its ongoing taxiway and runway rehabilitation projects.
“We are deeply grateful for our partnership with the FAA, as well as the tireless support of congressional leaders in Washington, DC, in providing the critical funding needed to improve our runways, taxiways and infrastructure,” Elkadi explained. “Together, we are committed to providing the safest experience possible for our travelers and airlines across the United States.”
Photo: Ontario International Airport
ONT is one of five airports serving the Los Angeles Basin. The region’s largest airport is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), followed by John Wayne Airport (SNA), Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), and Long Beach Airport (LGB).
