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Ontario International Airport continued march toward full recovery in February as passenger count neared pre-pandemic level

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Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed almost 358,000 air passengers in February, more than twice as many as the same month last year and 98.5% of the total in February 2019 as the airport edged closer to full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed almost 358,000 air passengers in February, more than twice as many as the same month last year and 98.5% of the total in February 2019 as the airport edged closer to full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Domestic travelers totaled nearly 347,000 in February, which was 131% higher than last year and 1% more than February 2019.

The number of international passengers was almost 11,000 last month, five times more than February last year, but nearly half as many as the same month in 2019.

Over the first two months of the year, ONT’s passenger volume totaled more than 697,000, an increase of nearly 130% compared with last year and 92% of the total number of travelers during January and February of 2019.

“Ontario International continues to set the pace for pandemic recovery among medium and large hub airports in California,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners. “While rising fuel costs and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine pose some uncertainty for air travel, we are confident that our aviation gateway will be a leader among airports nationwide when passengers return to more usual travel patterns.”

PassengerTotalsFeb.2022Feb.2021ChangeYTD2022YTD2021Change
Domestic346,998150,272130.91%670,249295,657126.7%
International10,8822,021438.45%27,3678,496222.1%
Total357,880152,293134.99%697,616304,153129.4%
PassengerTotalsFeb.2022Feb.2019ChangeYTD2022YTD2019Change
Domestic346,998343,2051.11%670,249712,482-5.9%
International10,88220,221-46.18%27,36747,150-42.0%
Total357,880363,426-1.53%697,616759,632-8.2%

Wapner also pointed to February’s strong growth in air cargo shipments in noting ONT’s appeal to freight shippers. Last month, ONT received nearly 61,000 tons of freight and mail combined, which was 18% more than the total tonnage in February 2019.

Over January and February, ONT cargo shipments totaled more than 129,000 tons, 15.8% more than the same period in 2019.

Air cargo(tonnage)Feb.2022Feb.2021ChangeYTD2022YTD2021Change
Freight56,48162,806-10.07%120,536133,353-9.6%
Mail4,3763,24634.82%8,9066,47137.6%
Total60,85766,052-7.86%129,442139,824-7.4%
Air cargo(tonnage)Feb.2022Feb.2019ChangeYTD2022YTD2019Change
Freight56,48149,15914.89%120,536107,40512.2%
Mail4,3762,127105.78%8,9064,413101.8%
Total60,85751,28618.66%129,442111,81815.8%

“Ontario International Airport delivers a first rate, hassle-free experience in our passenger terminals while providing spacious, modern facilities for our shipping partners and driving economic growth across the region,” Wapner said. 

The Inland Empire Business Journal (IEBJ) is the official business news publication of Southern California’s Inland Empire region - covering San Bernardino & Riverside Counties.

Travel & Tourism

Ontario International Airport to welcome STARLUX as its newest airline partner in June 2025

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Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed news from STARLUX Airlines that it will begin service between the Inland Empire and Taiwan in June.

The Taipei-based carrier will initiate nonstop service between ONT and Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) on June 2, 2025, with flights operating four times a week in both directions – Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  

Flights will depart from Terminal 4 at ONT at 11:10 p.m. local time and arrive at TPE at 4:15 a.m. two days later. Return flights will depart TPE at 8:05 p.m. local time and arrive at ONT’s International Arrivals Terminal at 5:05 p.m. on the same day. 

STARLUX offers convenient connections at its TPE hub to many destinations in East and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong, and will serve the ONT route with Airbus A350-900 equipped with 306 seats: four first class; 26 business class; 36 premium economy; and 240 economy.

“We are most grateful to STARLUX Airlines for its confidence in our airport, employees and community neighbors,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners. “Greater Ontario is the gateway to Southern California – a premier destination served by one of the fastest-growing and most popular airports in the United States. We look forward to welcoming STARLUX travelers to the convenience of ONT and all that our great region has to offer.” 

The announcement comes just weeks after ONT announced that the number of international travelers in 2024 was the highest in the airport’s history, growing 5.1% to 438,896. 

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Ontario International Airport Expands Reach with New Daily Flights to Chicago O’Hare

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United Airlines to Link the Inland Empire with Global Destinations Through Its Chicago Hub Starting May 2025

Ontario International Airport (ONT) officials said they are pleased to learn United Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between the Inland Empire and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in May 2025.

“We are thrilled that United has chosen to add service from Ontario to its home base in Chicago, which will become our airport’s 27th nonstop destination,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Airport Commissioners. “United’s O’Hare service will enable Ontario passengers to travel nearly anywhere across the globe via one of the world’s busiest airports. Providing more options to reach more destinations is what we’re all about.”

The service between Ontario and Chicago O’Hare will begin May 22 in the westbound direction, and May 23 in the eastbound direction, with a daily departure from ONT at 7 a.m. Pacific Time and a return flight departing ORD at 7:55 p.m. Central Time.

The flights are timed to offer travelers convenient connections to and from United’s global hub serving more than 180 nonstop destinations worldwide.

United will launch the route using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft equipped with 166 seats in three classes: First, Economy Plus and Economy. 

The Chicago service will complement United’s existing nonstop service from ONT to Denver, Houston and San Francisco.

“This welcome news reflects the confidence of our airline partners in our facilities, services and amenities, and the strong demand for air travel through our Southern California gateway,” said Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer. “We look forward to extending the world class service air travelers have come to expect at Ontario to more airline passengers in 2025.”

The United Airlines announcement comes as ONT welcomed more than 7 million travelers in 2024, 27% more than pre-pandemic 2019 and a 67% increase since 2016 when ONT was transferred to local control from the City of Los Angeles. Ontario is the fastest growing among medium- and large-size airports in California.

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Ontario International Airport awarded $2.5 million from FAA to reduce emissions, increase sustainability

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Greening the Gateway: Ontario International Airport Secures $2.5 Million from FAA for Sustainability Enhancements

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $2.5 million to Ontario International Airport’s (ONT) to further the popular Southern California gateway’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

The money is through FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low-Emission (VALE) Program and will be used to replace 22 Pre-Conditioned Air (PCA) units – external heating, cooling and dehumidifying devices that control temperatures and keep jetways and planes comfortable when aircraft are parked at the gate. The units are connected to airport electrical power sources, eliminating the need for parked aircraft to use on-board auxiliary power units, which require jet fuel.  

The VALE funding comes two weeks after ONT received $4 million in FAA funding for its runway rehabilitation program. 

“We are deeply appreciative to the FAA and to Congresswoman Norma Torres, who has played such a critical role in securing funding for ONT as we meet the needs of this dynamic region we serve. The VALE Program funding will allow us to replace older PCA units with state-of-the-art, high energy-efficient models that reduce emissions and improve air quality,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners. 

Since its return to local ownership in 2016, Ontario International has been a leader in promoting sustainable airport operations through its investment in energy-efficient infrastructure, the recycling of runway and construction materials, its fleet of zero-emission shuttle buses and its support of enhanced transit to and from the airport, among other things.

This year, ONT is on pace to exceed 7 million passengers, up 75% since 2016. ONT also ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in the U.S.

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