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Ontario International Airport sees highest passenger traffic since 2016

Ontario Airport passenger level surpasses pre-pandemic numbers
Ontario Airport passenger level surpasses pre-pandemic numbers 00:15

What pandemic? Travel has roared back, and it's evident at Ontario International Airport, which says they're seeing a six-year high in passenger traffic.

Air Travel Returning To Near Pre Pandemic Levels
ONTARIO, CA - JUNE 30: Travelers at Ontario International Airport wait for ground transportation outside Terminal 4 on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Air travel has returned to near pre pandemic levels. Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images

In May, Ontario International Airport saw nearly 520,000 passengers — the most in a single month since the airport returned to local ownership in 2016. The airport says 502,042 of those passengers flew domestically, while 16,843 were headed to international destinations.

Ontario International's totals were up 41.5% from a year ago, and exceeded May 2019 passenger volume by 9.2%, airport officials said. It's the third straight month the Inland Empire airport has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

In fact, the airport has seen traffic skyrocket all year — since January, 2 million domestic travelers and 73,000 international passengers have used Ontario International. Those numbers represent a 1.4% increase over the same period in 2019, and whopping 74.6% increase over 2021.

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