The accolades keep rolling in for Ontario International Airport (ONT), the gateway for choice for millions of Southern California air travelers and now, for the fifth straight year, the fastest-growing airport in the United States
The ranking is based on a survey of frequent travelers by Global Traveler, a magazine geared to business and luxury fliers who travel extensively in the U.S. and abroad, and comes as ONT is poised to reach its highest annual passenger volumes since 2008. Ontario is on track to serve a quarter of a million more passengers this year than the 5.6 million recorded during the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, making it one of the fastest-recovering airports in the U.S.
Being a member of Global Traveler’s five-time club puts ONT in rarified air and underscores the airport’s emergence as one of the industry’s great success stories since its return to local ownership six years ago. Ontario also is one of the Top 10 cargo airports in North America and a major economic driver in Southern California, generating $3.8 billion in activity, supporting 27,800 jobs and serving as the hub for a global supply chain network that generates $17.8 billion in economic output.
“We’ve committed to establishing Ontario International as a premier aviation gateway, and are thrilled with the response we’ve received from the community and region we serve. Being recognized as the fastest-growing airport in the U.S. is something we’re very proud of, but what matters most is being able to offer our travelers a safe, convenient airport experience they won’t get anywhere else,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners.
Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer, noted that 10 million Southern Californians live or work closer to ONT than any other airport.
“We appreciate the trust our community has put in us and recognize the responsibility that comes with that to grow the right way. As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, that partnership with the community and the region will allow us to add more flights, more destinations and enhanced customer-experience amenities that matter to travelers from across the Inland Empire and Southern California,” Elkadi said.
