Number of passengers at Ontario International Airport climbed 14% in September and 13% in first nine months of year

Growth surge continued with start of JetBlue NYC flights

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Oct 23, 2018, 18:00 ET

ONTARIO, Calif., Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Strong growth in passenger volume at Ontario International Airport (ONT) continued in September as the number of air travelers who passed through the airport rose 14%, while passenger numbers increased more than 13% in the first nine months of the year.

September continued ONT's double-digit passenger and freight traffic increases.

The number of arriving and departing passengers totaled than more 420,000 last month, up from 369,000 in September a year ago. The total included more than 402,000 domestic passengers, nearly 12% more than the 360,000 in September 2017. The number of international travelers doubled to 17,842 from 8,772 in September last year.

"The steady increases in passenger volume show that air carriers and travelers have great faith in Ontario as a viable aviation gateway in Southern California," said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). "Our customers are sophisticated travelers who know a first-rate airport when they see it and demand the best services and amenities. We promise to work hard every day to exceed their expectations."

From January through September, more than 3.7 million travelers moved through ONT, an increase of 13.3% over the same period last year. The number of passengers on domestic flights grew by 12% to 3.6 million while international passenger volume climbed 48.6% to nearly 158,000.

Increasing confidence among airlines and air travelers continues to drive ONT's steady year-over-year growth as carriers introduce new commercial service.

JetBlue launched nonstop service to New York City in early September. A month earlier, Frontier Airlines began daily service to Florida. Last week, Delta Air Lines announced it will add nonstop service to its Atlanta hub in the spring. Meanwhile, the completion of multi-million dollar upgrades of the airport's dining and retail concessions has brought new, popular amenities to ONT passengers.

The airport's cargo business also continued to grow at a double-digit pace last month. Commercial freight and mail rose 12.4% in September to more than 61,000 tons, up from 54,000 tons in September last year. In the first nine months of 2018, cargo tonnage grew to 544,700 tons from almost 463,000 tons a year ago, an increase of 17.7%.

"The continued strong performance in both passenger and cargo volumes validates the tremendous commitment and efforts of our staff and leadership team in the two years since the airport's return to local control," said OIAA Commissioner Jim Bowman.

	September 2018	September 2017	% Change	YTD 2018	YTD 2017	% Change
Passenger Traffic
Domestic	402,838	360,384	11.8%	3,604,155	3,214,946	12.1%
International	17,842	8,772	103.4%	157,896	106,244	48.6%
Total	420,680	369,156	14.0%	3,762,051	3,321,190	13.3%
Air Cargo (Tons)
Freight	59,052	52,270	13.0%	521,705	441,754	18.1%
Mail	2,412	2,420	-0.3%	22,996	21,225	8.3%
Total	61,463	54,690	12.4%	544,701	462,979	17.7%

About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International (ONT) Airport is located in the Inland Empire, 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 18 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 64 daily departures offered by 8 air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.
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About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)
The 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 Mayor Pro-Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).