Travel & Tourism
Ontario International Airport: Optimism for 2021 after a challenging 2020
Ontario International Airport is optimistic as it looks ahead to 2021 and a post-pandemic recovery for the aviation industry.
As the year of the unimaginable came to close, Ontario International Airport (ONT) took stock of the challenges of 2020 and expressed a sense of optimism for the possibilities of the New Year.
In the closing days of the year – what many consider the worst in the history of commercial aviation – officials noted ONT’s emerging recovery, among the quickest of U.S. airports, and the recently announced addition or resumption of service to key destinations.
“When 2020 began, Ontario was Southern California’s newest international aviation gateway and the fastest growing airport in the U.S., in just its fourth year under local control,” said Alan D. Wapner, Mayor pro Tem of the City of Ontario and President of the OIAA Board of Commissioners. “An attractive low-cost airport for commercial airlines, major e-commerce hub for air cargo shippers and a driver for the region’s economy, Ontario was the airport we’d hoped it would be just a few years ago. With the vision of our commission and the dedicated service of our staff, I can say unquestionably that Ontario holds as much, if not more, promise today than it did before the pandemic. And as coronavirus vaccines become available to more Americans, I am optimistic we will see a return to more normal travel routines in 2021.”
Despite the immediate challenges in the early stages of the pandemic, there were many encouraging signs:
- ONT recorded six straight months of traffic growth between April and October, regaining almost 50% of passenger volume compared to 2019, making its recovery first among airports in California and third nationally.
- The airport enhanced cleaning practices and instituted new sanitization measures throughout passenger terminals designed to protect air travelers, greeters, employees and other visitors. More information on the airport’s sanitization measures is available here.
- ONT launched an airport-wide initiative, ONTo What Matters Most, bringing life to the Airport’s mission of providing a clean & safe journey that connects people, places and experiences.
- Airlines resumed or initiated new service from ONT to five destinations in 2020 including Atlanta, Chicago (Midway), Houston (Intercontinental), Seattle and Mexico City;
- Airlines announced flights to another nine markets by Spring 2021 including Chicago (O’Hare) Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Francisco;
- ONT hosted a sold-out summer drive-in movie series and added app-based ride hail operator Wingz to its ground transportation program to increase access to the airport; and
- In the Fall ONT established a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site which provides results in as few as 20 minutes.
While the coronavirus pandemic impacted air travel in ways not seen before, ONT’s role as an air cargo destination – a bright spot before the pandemic – took off in 2020, growing 20% year over year
In November, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., completed a $100 million, two-year transformation of its ONT operations, the centerpiece of which is a 251,000 square-foot complex which includes a state-of-the-art sorting facility capable of handling 12,000 packages per hour, nine wide-body aircraft gates, 14 feeder aircraft gates and 18 truck docks.
The redeveloped parcel of more than 50 acres and its modern facilities, along with a 30-year lease extension, cemented ONT’s role as a major cargo hub in North America.
“We can never forget the pandemic’s toll on human life,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the OIAA. “Likewise, we will always remember how we adjusted at Ontario airport, challenged ourselves to adapt and collaborated with so many partners to ensure that travel through our international gateway is safe. We faced an unprecedented threat in 2020, and what we learned about our ability to persevere under the most difficult circumstances will serve our airport, our customers and the Inland Empire well as we move into 2021.”
Travel & Tourism
New Global Entry Enrollment Center to open at Ontario International Airport as global travel continues to grow
International travelers will no longer have to travel to Los Angeles to enroll in the popular program
Ontario International Airport (ONT) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Thursday unveiled the new Global Entry Enrollment Center at California’s most popular airport.
The new center is the sixth in California and will offer a convenient, local option for international travelers from the Inland Empire and nearby communities who wish to enroll in the popular program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Up until now, the nearest Global Entry Enrollment Center has been at Los Angeles International Airport.
“We are thrilled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has selected ONT to serve as the site of its newest Global Entry Enrollment Center and look forward to helping residents across Southern California access this time-saving international travel amenity,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners.
“The new center reflects CBP’s commitment to improving the customer experience as Global Entry continues to attract thousands of new applicants in the Greater Los Angeles area and neighboring communities,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “We are very pleased with this expansion which brings visitors to the area and helps boost the local economy.”
“Ontario International Airport is a valued asset for the Inland Empire. As your Congresswoman, I am proud to have supported this project and others like to ensure ONT – which sits in the heart of our district – can get people and cargo where they need to be quickly and efficiently,” said Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35).
Global Entry uses specialized processing technology and dedicated lanes to expedite clearance for arriving international travelers who have passed a rigorous background check and in-person interview. To set up an interview at the Global Entry Enrollment Center, travelers must first receive online pre-approval.
The Global Entry Enrollment Center comes as ONT has seen international travel volumes double over the past year, with popular direct flights to Taiwan, Mexico and Latin America. In October, ONT and CBP partnered to introduce another international travel amenity, Simplified Arrivals, which uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks required for admission into the country. The technology provides travelers with a touchless process that further secures and streamlines international arrivals. In 2022, the OIAA Board named the airport’s Federal Inspection Station and any future international terminal after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was a strong advocate for the airport’s return to local ownership.
“Ontario International Airport is proud to partner with CBP in providing an opportunity for our community to avail themselves of the Global Entry program,” said Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer “As we expand our international travel options, all CBP programs will play a significant role in providing a more expedited and safe inspection process and today marks the start of how our region has proven itself as a key gateway into Southern California.”
Travel & Tourism
More than 600,000 passengers traveled through Ontario International Airport in October
The highest total in a single month since return to local control
The number of air passengers who traveled through Ontario International Airport (ONT) in October topped 600,000 for the first time since the airport’s return to local ownership and was a 12% increase over the same month last year.
The total passenger count of 606,497 included 568,484 domestic and 38,013 international travelers, increases of 8% and 141%, respectively.
From January through October, ONT reported more than 5.3 million passengers; 4.9 million domestic fliers and 334,000 international travelers. The total was 11.6% higher than the same period last year.
Domestic travel volume was 8% higher over the first 10 months of the 2023 while the number of international passengers more than doubled.
“Our robust passenger volumes are no surprise given population growth in our service area and the rising popularity of our world class gateway,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “Our airline partners and air travelers recognize the value of our airport, hallmark hassle-free experience and first rate amenities and services, making Ontario International California’s favorite airport.”
According to a recent Los Angeles Times report, “Riverside County gained 36,000 residents between July 2020 and July 2021, the third most in the country. San Bernardino County grew by 11,970 people, helping the IE overtake San Francisco to become the 12th largest metropolitan area in the U.S.”
| PassengerTotals | Oct2023 | Oct2022 | Change | YTD2023 | YTD2022 | Change |
| Domestic | 568,484 | 526,004 | 8.08 % | 4,968,861 | 4,598,717 | 8.0 % |
| International | 38,013 | 15,726 | 141.72 % | 334,134 | 152,529 | 119.1 % |
| Total | 606,497 | 541,730 | 11.96 % | 5,302,995 | 4,751,246 | 11.6 % |
Shipments of freight and mail totaled 60,798 tons in October, 11.3% lower than October a year ago. On a year-to-date basis, cargo registered 604,116 tons, 12% lower than the first 10 months of 2022.
| Air cargo(tonnage) | Oct2023 | Oct2022 | Change | YTD2023 | YTD2022 | Change |
| Freight | 57,970 | 64,449 | -10.05 % | 564,183 | 642,044 | -12.1 % |
| 2,823 | 4,134 | -31.59 % | 39,933 | 45,229 | -11.7 % | |
| Total | 60,798 | 68,583 | -11.35 % | 604,116 | 687,274 | -12.1 % |
“The trend toward lower air cargo volumes remained through October,” Elkadi said. “While global economic forces are still impacting cargo volumes at U.S. airports, we remain confident that our shipping partners will continue to choose our Southern California gateway as volumes rebound.”
Southern California gateway broke marks for both total passengers and international travelers
Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) set a record in June for passenger volume, welcoming more than 559,000 travelers and breaking a record set just a month earlier, officials announced.
The aviation gateway also recorded more than 37,000 international travelers, which was the most in a single month ever at ONT.
The total passenger count for June was 8.7% higher than June last year. The number of domestic passengers grew by 5% to 522,000, while international air travel more than doubled to 37,000.
The previous high for total passengers in one month since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016 was recorded in May 2023, when 557,000 traveled through ONT.
Over the year’s first six months, total passenger volume was nearly 3 million, 12.4% greater than the first half of 2022. The passenger count included 2.8 million domestic travelers and 176,000 international passengers, increases of 9.5% and 94.4%, respectively.
“Since taking ownership of the airport our goal has been to create an international gateway for Southern California with the amenities, facilities and services befitting the region,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, of Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “We couldn’t be more pleased that demand for air travel through Ontario remains strong, outpacing other California airports, driven by large increases in population and jobs across our region.”
Ten million Southern Californians live or work closer to ONT than any other airport, and eight of the 10 fastest-growing California cities with over 100,000 population are in ONT’s primary service area.
| Passenger
Totals |
Jun 2023 |
Jun 2022 |
Change |
YTD 2023 |
YTD 2022 |
Change |
| Domestic |
522,088 |
496,950 |
5.06% |
2,813,917 |
2,570,272 |
9.5% |
| International |
37,359 |
17,534 |
113.07% |
176,238 |
90,677 |
94.4% |
| Total |
559,447 |
514,484 |
8.74% |
2,990,155 |
2,660,949 |
12.4% |
Volumes of commercial freight and mail declined by 14% in June and 10% on a year-to-date basis, consistent with lower cargo volume globally which has been anticipated by industry analysts.
| Air cargo
(tonnage) |
Jun 2023 |
Jun 2022 |
Change |
YTD 2023 |
YTD 2022 |
Change |
| Freight |
57,410 |
67,525 |
-14.98% |
338,431 |
380,612 |
-11.1% |
|
4,260 |
4,479 |
-4.89% |
27,725 |
28,107 |
-1.4% |
|
| Total |
61,670 |
72,004 |
-14.35% |
366,156 |
408,720 |
-10.4% |
“Despite the slow-down in freight movement worldwide, Ontario International is a vital cog in the U.S. supply chain,” Elkadi said. “Our modernized and expanded cargo facilities remain key components for shippers serving Sothern California.”
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