Ontario International Airport Passenger Traffic Up 3.7% in January

Ontario International Airport reported a 3.7 percent increase in passenger traffic in January, driven largely by strong growth in international travel.

The Southern California airport handled nearly 493,000 passengers during the month, up from about 475,000 in January 2025.

International traffic reached more than 66,000 passengers, a 64 percent increase year over year and the highest monthly international total in the airport’s history. The previous record was set in December 2025.

Domestic passenger traffic totaled approximately 426,600 travelers, representing a slight decline of 1.9 percent compared with the same month last year.

Airport officials said the growth reflects continued momentum following the airport’s return to local control in 2016. Since that time, annual passenger traffic has increased by nearly 70 percent.

“We closed out 2025 on a high note with more than 7.1 million passengers for the year and we are encouraged by our start in 2026,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. “Our passenger level last month was the highest for any January since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016.”

January also included the launch of new daily nonstop service between Ontario and Boise, Idaho, operated by Alaska Airlines.

Southwest Airlines carried the largest share of passengers during the month with 34.6 percent of the market, followed by American Airlines at 15.6 percent. Alaska Airlines accounted for 10.9 percent of passengers, while Delta Air Lines and United Airlines carried 9.1 percent and 8.7 percent respectively.

Cargo activity also increased during the month. The airport handled approximately 66,840 tons of cargo in January, a 5.5 percent increase compared with the previous year.

Commercial freight rose by 9.3 percent to more than 57,000 tons, while mail shipments declined by 12.6 percent.

Airport officials noted that Ontario remains one of the nation’s leading cargo gateways and continues to have available capacity to support additional freight activity.