ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA — Nearly 190,000 airline passengers will travel through Ontario International Airport (ONT) over the Thanksgiving holiday, 3.7% more than pre-pandemic 2019, airport officials announced.
Based on published airline schedules, airport executives estimate 189,743 passengers will fly into and out of ONT during the 11-day holiday travel period from Friday, November 18, through Monday, November 28. The busiest days will be Wednesday, November 23, and Sunday, November 27, when more than 19,500 air travelers are expected.
Airlines operating at the Southern California gateway are offering more than 229,000 seats, 6.8% more than the Thanksgiving holiday period in 2019. It is anticipated that an average of 83% of those seats will be filled. ONT offers daily nonstops to major destinations throughout the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and Asia, along with easy one-stops to virtually anywhere else. The most popular out-of-state destinations this holiday season include Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and Seattle.
"We are enormously grateful that air travelers are returning to our terminals at such a robust pace," said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer for the Ontario International Airport Authority. "Ontario International has surpassed pre-pandemic passenger volumes for the past eight months, and we look forward to greeting greater numbers for the Thanksgiving holiday and providing our hallmark hassle-free customer experience."
During the busy holiday travel periods, travelers are urged to pre-book discount contactless parking at flyontario.com for the quickest curb-to-gate experience. Driving directions, terminal locations, and other information are available on ONT's radio station at 620 on the AM dial and online.
Motorists picking up passengers are urged to avoid circling the terminal loop road by parking in the cell phone waiting lot free for up to an hour at 3350 John Bangs Drive.
Ontario International drew more than 540,000 passengers in October, the highest number in a single month since local authorities assumed ownership of the airport in 2016. An economic analysis conducted by Oxford Economics and released earlier this month showed ONT generates $3.8 billion in economic activity annually while supporting nearly 28,000 jobs in the region.
