December 30, 2020
(Ontario, California – December 30, 2020) – 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.”
About Ontario International Airport (ONT)
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 with nonstop commercial jet service to 21 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 67 daily departures offered by nine air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.
Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
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 City Council Member 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).
Run of double-digit increases in air cargo continued
December 15, 2020
(Ontario, California – December 15, 2020) – The surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. and public health guidance to avoid travel during the holiday season led to a slight decrease in passenger volume at Ontario International Airport (ONT) in November, interrupting a six-month trend of passenger increases, airport officials announced today. At the same time, however, air freight shipments continued to grow at a double-digit pace.
“As the pandemic surges through all regions of California, we are reminded daily of the impact of COVID-19 on global air travel,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “We remain hopeful that new routes announced for early 2021 and the distribution of coronavirus vaccines will lead to a robust recovery in the year ahead.”
Total traveler volume was more than 212,000 in November, approximately 5,000 fewer than October after sixth straight months of increasing passenger volumes. The passenger number was 57% lower than the same month last year.
Domestic passenger volume was 205,000 last month, a decrease of 56% compared to November 2019. On a brighter note, the number of international travelers rose from 4,000 in October to more than 7,000, still 72.5% lower than November last year.
From January through November, more than 2.3 million passengers traveled through ONT, 53.7% fewer than the same period in 2019. Of those more than 2.2 million were domestic passengers with 87,000 who were international air travelers, decreases of 52% and 68%, respectively.
| Passenger Totals |
November 2020 |
November 2019 |
% Change |
YTD 2020 |
YTD 2019 |
% Change |
| Domestic |
205,526 |
475,453 |
-56.77% |
2,260,263 |
4,794,636 |
-52.9% |
| International |
7,200 |
26,186 |
-72.50% |
87,685 |
274,307 |
-68.0% |
| Total |
212,726 |
501,639 |
-57.59% |
2,347,948 |
5,068,943 |
-53.7% |
Hawaiian Airlines announced recently that it will begin service between ONT and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport with five flights a week starting in March. Denver-based Frontier Airlines is also planning the addition of new flights and resumption of flights suspended during the pandemic between February and May in 2021.
As for cargo shipments, which remained strong through November, air freight volume exceeded 73,000 tons, 10.3% more than November last year. On a year-to-date basis, freight shipments totaled more than 804,000 tons, almost 20% more than the same period a year ago.
Mail shipments grew more than 150% to 3,300 tons last month from 1,300 tons in November 2019.
| Air cargo (tonnage) |
November 2020 |
November 2019 |
% Change |
YTD 2020 |
YTD 2019 |
% Change |
| Freight |
73,207 |
66,319 |
10.39% |
804,566 |
671,817 |
19.8% |
| Mail |
3,379 |
1,338 |
152.47% |
21,973 |
21,116 |
4.1% |
| Total |
76,586 |
67,657 |
13.20% |
826,539 |
692,933 |
19.3% |
“Commercial freight continues to be Ontario’s lifeblood,” Thorpe said. “Air cargo carriers are showing their confidence by expanding and modernizing facilities as the region’s reliance on e-commerce grows month after month, investments which will serve the Inland Empire well for years to come.”
About Ontario International Airport (ONT)
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 with nonstop commercial jet service to 21 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 67 daily departures offered by nine air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.
Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
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 City Council Member 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).
December 8, 2020
(Ontario, California – December 8, 2020) – Hawaiian Airlines flying from Ontario International Airport (ONT) to Honolulu beginning in the Spring is welcome news for the Southern California gateway and the Inland Empire, and the latest sign that ONT continues to recover from the severe pandemic-driven downturn in global air travel.
Hawaiian Airlines will offer nonstop flights between ONT and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) five times a week beginning March 16 and 17 on the following schedules:
| Flight # |
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
Frquency |
Aircraft |
| 74 |
*HNL |
ONT |
1:05 p.m. |
9:35 p.m. |
Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun |
A321 |
| 73 |
**ONT |
HNL |
9:05 a.m. |
12:20 p.m. |
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun |
A321 |
*Beginning March 16 **Beginning March 17
“We’re excited to be able to offer our community new nonstop service to Hawai‘i. It’s one of the biggest requests we get from travelers, and I know it will be an extremely popular route,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners. “I want to thank Hawaiian Airlines for its support and confidence in Southern California’s fastest-growing aviation gateway.”
“We are delighted to bring our superior value proposition to travelers visiting Hawai‘i from Ontario,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. “2021 is going to be a special time to experience Hawai‘i, and we can’t wait to welcome onboard our guests from Ontario and introduce them to our islands.”
Hawaiian’s guests will enjoy island-inspired complimentary meals and the superior comfort of the carrier’s quiet and fuel-efficient A321neo aircraft, which feature 16 luxurious leather recliners in First Class, 44 Extra Comfort seats, and 129 Main Cabin seats.
“We look forward to welcoming Hawaiian Airlines and their passengers in time for Spring Break and we are confident they will quickly feel that the aloha spirit extends to Ontario,” said Mark Thorpe, OIAA chief executive officer. “The aviation industry is taking note of the steady COVID-19 recovery we are experiencing at Ontario. As air carriers set schedules and routes for 2021, they are including Ontario in their own recovery plans, a great show of confidence in our low-cost gateway, high-quality services, facilities, and customer base.”
Ontario Airport has recorded six straight months of traffic growth since reaching its low point in April when passenger levels declined by 93%. Ontario’s recovery ranks first among airports in California and third nationally, having regained roughly 50% of passenger volume compared to a year ago.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines announced the addition of new flights and resumption of flights suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic between February and May in 2021.International carrier Volaris initiated nonstop service from ONT to its Mexico City base last month.
Delta Air Lines, which resumed daily, nonstop service to its Atlanta hub in July, began twice daily, nonstop flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in October. Southwest Airlines restarted its Chicago Midway International Airport route while United Airlines resumed flying to Houston’s George H.W. Bush Intercontinental Airport in August.
In order to add value and convenience for travelers, ONT hosts a drive-up testing site operated by the Covid Clinic which offers a variety of COVID-19 tests, including rapid tests with results available within 20 minutes. Tests are administered on Parking Lot 3 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a week. Reservations can be made at online at the Covid Clinic.
About Ontario International Airport (ONT)
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 with nonstop commercial jet service to 21 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 67 daily departures offered by nine air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.
Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
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 City Council Member 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).