An often overlooked option when flying to Southern California is the sudden surge in passenger traffic, which saw another record month in July.

Ontario International Airport said it saw a 14.4% increase in travelers in July compared to the same period last year, part of a larger trend it has observed in 2024.

Last month, they counted more than 666,320 passengers, breaking the airport’s monthly record since it was handed over to local ownership in 2016, airport authorities said in a statement. They fell just short of the all-time record of 693,000 set in August 2007.

Of these passengers last month, 629,000 were domestic passengers, almost 17% more than the total in July of the previous year.

“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. “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.”

Since the beginning of January, the airport has counted almost 4 million passengers, almost 12% more than in the same period in 2023.

“Residents and visitors alike can count on our first-class amenities, attractive shopping and dining options and our trademark hassle-free customer experience,” said Elkadi.

Frequent travelers also report noticing an increase in traffic at the airport. However, the airport remains popular with locals and a much easier option when it comes to quick and easy travel.

“We like to fly to smaller airports to avoid the congestion at larger airports like LAX,” said James Frigo.

Officials say the increase in traffic is consistent with the increasing number of flight connections offered by airlines as well as the rapid population growth currently taking place in the Inland Empire.