Travel & Tourism
Nearly 4.5 million travelers through Ontario International in 2021 as airport’s pandemic recovery continued
Strong cargo numbers maintained airport’s position as major hub for commerce
Nearly 4.5 million airline passengers traveled through Ontario International Airport (ONT) in 2021, a remarkable feat compared with medium and large-size airports amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of ONT customers last year was 77% greater than 2020 passenger volume and 80% of 2019’s total.
At the same time, ONT continued to be a hub for commerce as cargo shipments remained strong at more than 890,000 tons, a decline of just 3.7% from 2020 when e-commerce demand was at its peak, and 14% higher than 2019.
“We saw encouraging signs of recovery in 2021 as demand for air travel neared pre-pandemic levels, and we look forward to welcoming more travelers as public health authorities continue efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus variants and airline passengers resume more normal travel patterns,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners.
During the month of December, passenger traffic which totaled more than 467,000 was 145% higher than December 2020 and 90% of the volume in the same month in 2019 – remarkable results given the number of flights canceled globally due to the spread of the omicron variant.
| PassengerTotals | Dec.2021 | Dec.2020 | Change | YTD2021 | YTD2020 | Change |
| Domestic | 450,327 | 198,779 | 146.38% | 4,373,219 | 2,443,042 | 79.0% |
| International | 16,824 | 7,755 | 116.94% | 123,373 | 95,440 | 29.3% |
| Total | 467,151 | 190,534 | 145.18% | 4,496,592 | 2,538,482 | 77.1% |
| PassengerTotals | Dec.2021 | Dec.2019 | Change | YTD2021 | YTD2019 | Change |
| Domestic | 450,327 | 485,086 | -7.17% | 4,373,219 | 5,279,722 | -17.2% |
| International | 16,824 | 29,703 | -43.36% | 123,373 | 304,010 | -59.4% |
| Total | 467,151 | 514,789 | -9.25% | 4,496,592 | 5,583,732 | -19.5% |
Wapner was bullish about ONT’s role as a leading hub for e-commerce in 2021 which experienced a double-digit increase in shipment volume over 2019 on a year-to-date basis.
“Our air freight partners continued to rely on Ontario International as a focal point in the distribution of consumer goods in Southern California,” Wapner said. “Our expansive, modern facilities remain attractive to our tenants and are a great public asset for the region.”
The Inland Empire airport recorded 97,500 tons of freight and mail in December, roughly equal to the same month in 2020 and 9.5% higher than December 2019.
Air cargo(tonnage) Dec.2021 Dec.2020 Change YTD2021 YTD2020 Change Freight 92,068 93,959 -2.01% 839,955 898,525 -6.5% Mail 5,459 3,662 49.06% 50,428 25,635 96.7% Total 97,527 97,622 -0.10% 890,383 924,160 -3.7% Air cargo(tonnage) Dec.2021 Dec.2019 Change YTD2021 YTD2019 Change Freight 92,068 88,228 4.35% 839,955 760,045 10.5% Mail 5,459 832 556.49% 50,428 21,948 129.8% Total 97,527 89,060 9.51% 890,383 781,993 13.9%