Ontario International Airport (ONT) continued the momentum gained over the past year by posting a more than 10% increase in passenger volume in January. At the same time, cargo shipments continued their double-digit increases, growing more than 22%.
Passengers totaled 374,977 in January, an increase of 10.6% over the same month last year when passenger volume was 339,083.
“The remarkable increases in the January numbers reflect the continued confidence of our customers,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. “They have come to expect a secure, hassle-free experience at Ontario, and I am pleased to say we are meeting their expectations.”
The January passenger increase was the highest month-over-month gain since ONT’s transition to local control in 2016, and continues the airport’s remarkable growth since its transition to local control. As previously reported, ONT handled 4.5 million passengers in 2017, up 7% from the prior year.
Shipments of freight and mail at ONT continued to grow at a double-digit pace in January, increasing by 10,455 metric tons, or 22.3%, compared to a year ago. This, too, continues a trend that saw cargo shipments jump more than 15% in 2017.
Ontario’s status as an international gateway will reach a new level in March when China Airlines launches passenger service between Taiwan and ONT.