Ontario Airport sees more than three million passengers

The number of commercial air passengers who travelled through Ontario International Airport (ONT) in July 2019 has increased by more than 10 per cent compared to July 2018, continuing a trend of strong, steady growth at the nation’s fastest-growing airport. 

The total number of passengers grew to nearly 495,000, an increase of 10.4 per cent. Almost 468,000 were domestic passengers while international travellers totalled nearly 27,000; increases of 10.1 per cent and 15.7 per cent respectively according to the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA).

In July, Ontario Airport also surpassed the three million passenger mark for the year, a seven per cent increase over the first seven months of last year. From January through July, domestic passenger volume topped 2.9 million, an increase of 5.4 per cent over the same period a year ago while the number of international travellers grew by nearly 50 per cent to more than 175,000.

Mark Thorpe, OIAA Chief Executive Officer, said: “Ontario continues to be a magnet for commercial air service for domestic and international passengers in the greater Los Angeles area. We are heartened by the positive responses of our customers regarding our ongoing efforts to create an appealing international aviation gateway for Southern California, one which meets the needs of business and leisure travellers alike.”

This summer daily, non-stop services have been added to popular aviation hubs in Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco.

Air cargo shipments, meanwhile, grew modestly in July by nearly two per cent to more than 64,000 tonnes. During the first seven months of the year, cargo volume totalled almost 429,000 tonnes, up 3.4 per cent from the same period last year.

Alan D. Wapner, OIAA President, said: “Along with our strong passenger numbers, the continued growth in cargo reaffirms how important ONT is to our region’s economy. Having a great airport has helped the Inland Empire become a global centre for e-commerce and an emerging hub for healthcare, technology and advanced manufacturing – creating jobs and economic opportunity for the region as a whole.”