During the month of August, more than 567,000 passengers passed through Ontario International Airport, a popular departure alternative for Southland travelers, an 11% jump from the same month last year, airport officials said Thursday.
That number included 527,000 domestic fliers, a 6% jump from August 2022, and 40,000 international travelers, a three-fold increase from the same month last year, according to the airport. It was only the second month in history that the airport saw more than 40,000 international travelers — the previous time occurring in July, when 43,000 international passengers used the airport.
“Demand for air travel through Ontario International remained strong in August and for the year, outpacing growth at other California airports, while consumer confidence in our facilities, services and amenities was equally strong,” Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority, said in a statement. “Our mission is to deliver a world-class international gateway for Southern California, and the data shows we are living up to our promise.”
Over the first eight months of the year, more than 4 million passengers have passed through the Ontario airport, a 12% increase from the same period last year. The number of domestic passengers so far this year is up 8.7%, while the number international travelers has more than doubled, airport officials said.
Commercial cargo shipments through the airport were down 12.9% in August compared to the same month last year, while volume is down 11.6% during the first eight months of the year. Airport officials contributed the decline to “global economic issues” that are affecting cargo traffic at airports across the country.