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

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Mar 14, 2022, 08:00 ET

Air cargo tonnage grew by nearly 20% versus 2019

ONTARIO, Calif., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

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.

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."

Passenger Totals	Feb. 2022	Feb. 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Domestic	346,998	150,272	130.91%	670,249	295,657	126.7%
International	10,882	2,021	438.45%	27,367	8,496	222.1%
Total	357,880	152,293	134.99%	697,616	304,153	129.4%

Passenger Totals	Feb. 2022	Feb. 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Domestic	346,998	343,205	1.11%	670,249	712,482	-5.9%
International	10,882	20,221	-46.18%	27,367	47,150	-42.0%
Total	357,880	363,426	-1.53%	697,616	759,632	-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. 2022	Feb. 2021	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	Change
Freight	56,481	62,806	-10.07%	120,536	133,353	-9.6%
Mail	4,376	3,246	34.82%	8,906	6,471	37.6%
Total	60,857	66,052	-7.86%	129,442	139,824	-7.4%

Air cargo (tonnage)	Feb. 2022	Feb. 2019	Change	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	Change
Freight	56,481	49,159	14.89%	120,536	107,405	12.2%
Mail	4,376	2,127	105.78%	8,906	4,413	101.8%
Total	60,857	51,286	18.66%	129,442	111,818	15.8%

"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.

About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic, offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram

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 City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).