OIA Passenger Traffic Continues to Increase

Passenger traffic was up at Ontario International Airport during 2015, the second consecutive year the airport showed positive growth in that category.

More than 4.2 million passengers passed through the gates at Ontario International in 2015, a year-over-year increase of nearly two percent, according to Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that owns and operates Ontario International.

AeroMexico and Volaris, the airport’s two international carriers, continued to help boost Ontario International ’s passenger traffic: both airlines combined served 145,114 passengers last year, an increase of nearly 60 percent compared with 2014, LAWA stated.

Nearly 510,000 tons of cargo passed through Ontario International during 2015, a 7.4 percent increase over 2014, LAWA reported.

Ontario International, which went into a slump in passenger and cargo traffic during the recession, is now clearly on the rebound, said Maria Tesoro, airport spokeswoman.

“We’re ecstatic with these numbers,” Tesoro said. “They’re not huge, but to add to your passenger count for two consecutive years is always good news.”

Los Angeles, which has owned the airport since 1985, agreed last year to hand over control of the facility to Ontario. That transfer is expected to happen this summer.

Inland Empire officials have said they will do a better job operating the airport than LAWA, but Tesoro declined to predict how the change in ownership might impact Ontario International’s passenger and cargo counts.

“We want the airport to do well no matter who is running it,” she said.