IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Passenger traffic at Ontario International Airport dropped 93.5 percent in April, another sign of the damage COVID-19 is inflicting on the Inland Empire economy.
Fewer than 29,000 air travelers passed through the airport during the fourth month of the year, compared with nearly 445,000 in April 2019, the Ontario International Airport Authority reported.
That’s a staggering decline but one similar to what’s happening at other U.S. airports, as the country continues to battle the worst public health crisis since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920.
The airport’s entire passenger count – 28,916 – represented domestic travelers. There were no International flights in or out of Ontario International last month.
While passenger traffic dropped to unheard of depths, cargo traffic surged.
More than 75,000 tons of commercial cargo were handled at Ontario International in April, a 26.6 percent year-over-year increase.
Through the first four months of the year, Ontario International handled more than 261,000 tons of freight, up 16.5 percent compared with the same period in 2019.
The rise in air freight volume in April represents the highest year-over-year increase at ONT since the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County assumed control of the airport in late 2016. The previous high was recorded in January 2018 when air freight tonnage increased 22.8 percent.
