Ontario International Airport Reports July Passenger Traffic Reached 97% of Pre-COVID Level
The number of passengers at Ontario International Airport (ONT) was nearly 478,000 in July, 97 percent of the total passenger count recorded in July 2019, officials announced. Last month’s figure was 171 percent higher than July last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data compiled by the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), the popular Southern California gateway welcomed more than 462,000 domestic passengers and 15,600 international travelers in July, increases of 167 percent and 333 percent, respectively, compared to July 2020.
The number of domestic travelers last month was just 1.2 percent lower than July 2019 while international passenger volume was 42 percent lower.
From January through July, ONT welcomed more than 2.1 million passengers, almost 70 percent of the total over the same period in 2019 and 40 percent more than the first seven months of 2020.
"Ontario International’s recovery from the impact of the pandemic continues at a robust pace." said Alan D. Wapner, president of the OIAA Board of Commissioners. “Airlines are showing great confidence in our airport and our strong customer base as the demand for air travel, particularly domestic service, approaches pre-pandemic volume.”
Wapner noted that ONT’s customer base is growing, according to a recent analysis of household migration to and from the top metropolitan regions in the U.S.
Among the report’s findings: the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California area – also known as the Inland Empire – experienced the greatest population growth in 2020 as families sought more affordable homes in less densely populated areas following the onset of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, air freight shipments in July, which totaled 66,400 tons, were 6 percent higher than the same month in 2019, but 17.2 percent lower than July last year. For the first seven months of the year, freight volume was almost 480,000 tons, nearly 5 percent less than the same period a year ago, but almost 16 percent more than 2019.
