ONT passenger count is up

Passenger traffic at Ontario International Airport posted a modest gain during the first six months of this year.

The airport served 2,002,789 passengers between January and June compared with 1,967,223 passengers during the same period in 2013, according to a statement released Tuesday by Los Angeles World Airports.

International traffic rose significantly at Ontario International during that time – 65.3 percent – due mainly to Volaris, a Mexico-based airline that began twice-weekly service in April and plans to start a third flight in September, according to the statement.

The mild increase in overall traffic happened even though there were fewer available seats this year than there were in 2013, said Jess Romo, manager of Ontario International.

“We continue to see encouraging signs,” Romo said in a statement. “Carriers are flying more efficiently with higher load factors, which positively impacts their bottom line. We’re very excited about the notable increase in international traffic.”

The airport has seen a steady drop in traffic during the past few years, down to levels not seen there since the mid-1980s. Ontario is currently trying to get control of the airport away from its owner, Los Angeles World Airports, the Los Angeles city agency that also owns Los Angeles International Airport.