According to the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), more than 2.4 million were domestic passengers while more than 148,000 were international customers, increases of 4.5% and 57%, respectively.
In June, the total number of ONT passengers was more than 477,000, an increase of 9.6% over June a year ago.
The number of domestic travelers grew 9.4% to more than 451,000. International passengers increased 12.6% to more than 26,000.
Ontario airport experienced significant growth in passenger volume during the first six months of the year as airlines initiated new services to major airports in Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco and added flights to existing routes, said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the OIAA.
Air travelers can now reach 21 major domestic and international destinations via nonstop commercial service from ONT.
Due to the great work of our staff and support of our community, local control is proving successful for ONT, said Alan Wapner, OIAA President. "
The growth in commercial service is a reflection of the strong demand for air travel in the Inland Empire and the many steps we have taken to provide facilities, amenities and services that appeal to business and leisure travelers, not to mention the positive, hassle-free customer service experience which distinguishes ONT.
From January through June, cargo volume was up 3.7% to more than 364,000 tons compared to the same period last year. Cargo shipments were essentially flat in June, growing 0.7% over the same month in 2018 to nearly 63,000 tons.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers.
Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California.
It is a full-service airport with nonstop commercial jet service to 21 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 67 daily departures offered by nine air carriers.
The Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area.
OIAA Commissioners are Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).
The number of passengers passing through Ontario International Airport (ONT) in Southern California has been growing significantly since it was transferred to the City of Ontario in 2015.
With the new local ownership, Ontario has brought new airlines, increased the number of flights and destinations, and added new eateries and remodeled facilities to entice travelers to use the airport located approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
The new ownership and investment by the City of Ontario have proved to be worthy as this past summer travel season has been the busiest travel season Ontario has ever seen in its history.
This August alone, passenger volume grew by more than 18 percent. The number of arriving and departing passengers totaled 458,029 – an increase of over 18 percent from August 2017 when ONT welcomed 387,351 travelers.
Domestic travel went up 16.2 percent from a year ago and international travel more than 82.5 percent an increase of 22,339 passengers mostly because of China Airlines’ new daily Airbus A350 service to Taiwan which began in March 2018.
Ontario Airport has welcomed Frontier Airlines’ low-cost service this year and this August saw the start of Frontier Airlines’ daily, non-stop service to Orlando.
Earlier this month, JetBlue also re-launched nonstop service to New York’s JFK Airport.
Furthermore, China Airlines’ new service to Taipei has proven to be popular amongst Asia-bound travelers wanting to avoid the traffic and lines at LAX. According to the airport, China Airlines’ load capacity is at 80 percent each way.
Ontario also recently completed multi-million upgrades of the airport’s dining and retail concessions. This investment has brought in popular dining brands to a once bland terminal such as Einstein Bros. Bagels, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, Rock & Brews, and WPizza by Wolfgang Puck.
Like LAX with Westfield Group, Ontario Airport is also rebranding and refurbishing its concessions to provide a better and more enticing experience for travelers.
The consistent increases in passenger volume affirm what we are doing to develop Ontario into a world-class gateway and create a first-rate airport experience,said Alan Wapner, President of Ontario’s Airport Authority.
Our customers demand a smooth, hassle-free experience along with popular services and amenities, and we are dedicated to meeting their expectations.
This is only the beginning for Ontario as the airport expects these strong double-digit numbers to get even better in the months ahead with the newly-added flights and investment in upgraded traveler amenities.
Tourism Observer
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