Ontario International Airport has received an additional $10.77 million in infrastructure funding from the FAA.

Ontario International Airport will receive another $10.77 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to invest in infrastructure improvements at the aviation gateway of choice for millions of Southern Californians.

The FAA announced this week that it is awarding a total of $518 million to airports across the country, under its 2022 Airport Improvement Program. ONT will receive the largest amount within California – for taxiway improvements and expanding the lighting vault that serves the airport’s runways.

The announcement comes less than a year after ONT was awarded $12.68 million through the FAA and the American Rescue Plan Act for taxiway and runway improvements.

“I’m grateful to our staff for preparing a successful funding application and to the FAA for continuing to bring infrastructure and airfield improvement dollars to the fastest-growing passenger airport in the U.S.,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Ontario.

ONT has been one of the aviation industry’s great success stories, eclipsing pre-pandemic passenger volumes and ranking among the Top 10 cargo airports in North America. The airport also plays a critical role in the Inland Empire’s emergence as one of the fastest-growing population centers in the United States and a global supply chain hub.

“In communities of all sizes, airports are vital to local economies, sustaining jobs and getting people and goods where they need to go,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in announcing this week’s funding awards. “We’re pleased to announce this important funding to help improve airports around the country and better serve all Americans.”

Traveler count grew 7% over 2019 level with domestic volume up 10%

The number of passengers who traveled through Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) in April was nearly 7% above the April 2019 total, beating pre-pandemic levels for the second straight month, officials announced today.

Total ONT passenger volume was almost 476,000 last month, 6.92% more than April three years ago. The number of domestic travelers increased by 9.65% to more than 461,000.

Passenger traffic increased by 4% in March compared with the same month in 2019.

“Demand for air travel through Ontario International remained strong in April as passengers took to the airways for spring break vacations and to visit friends and family for religious holidays. Ontario International was rapidly growing before the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is not a surprise that we’re among the quickest to recover,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners.

From January through April, total passenger volume was more than 1.62 million, within a percentage point of the total from the first four months of 2019. The number of domestic passengers was 1.57 million, an increase of 1.6%.

Air cargo shipments also remained strong in April at 67,000 tons, 8.6% greater than April in 2019. On a year-to-date basis, shipments of freight and mail combined were 15.5% higher than the January through April period in 2019, at nearly 270,000 tons.

“Ontario International remains a point of pride as an increasingly popular passenger gateway in Southern California and attractive hub for e-commerce,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the OIAA. “With our growing customer base in the Inland Empire, support of our community neighbors and strong political will of our city and county leaders, I am confident Ontario International will continue to attract new and increased flights from passenger and cargo air carriers.”

March passenger total 4% higher than March 2019; cargo shipments up 22%