Boosted by new international offerings, Ontario airport setting record travel numbers

History is being made at Ontario International Airport, thanks in large part to a new slate of international flights that debuted in recent weeks.

On Monday, airport officials announced that July was its second-busiest month in the airport’s history, with the largest total number of international travelers ever recorded.

ONT reported 681,912 total passengers in July, surpassing the previous high mark set for that month, which was set in 2007. July 2025 was also 2.3% higher than July 2024.

Last month’s passenger total includes nearly 625,000 domestic travelers, which is slightly down from the previous July. But a 53% increase in international travelers (56,954) propelled July 2025 into the airport’s history books.

The rush of international travelers can be linked to a bevy of new routes from two of the airport’s airline partners.

In June, Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines launched new direct service between Ontario and Taipei. Those new flights helped ONT set a new record for international travelers in June—a record that would only stand for a few weeks.

In July, the Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Volaris launched 14 new weekly flights between San Bernardino County and three destinations in Mexico, including daily service to Los Cabos.

These new Volaris flights, alongside Starlux’s Taipei offering, helped the growing Southern California airport record its best international traveler mark ever.

“Month after month, Ontario International continues to prove what’s possible when a community believes in its hometown airport,” said Atif Elkadi, Ontario International Airport Authority chief executive officer. “This all-time record for international travelers shows that we’ve built more than an airport; we’ve built a thriving global gateway that connects Southern California to the world and welcomes the world to our home.”

Elkadi added that this is the 53rd consecutive month of growth at ONT.

Year-to-date, domestic travel is up 1.1% from last year, and up 9.1% for international.

Air cargo tonnage was also up markedly in July 2025 compared to July 2024, despite year-to-date figures that show the airport has seen a 3.2% decrease in freight tonnage.

Officials said mail volume saw a more-than 200% increase from July 2024, which is the result of the U.S. Postal Service awarding a “major mail handling contract” to UPS, which operate a large cargo hub in Ontario.

The increase in mail cargo contributed to a 10.5% increase in total air cargo year-to-date, officials said.

“The growth in freight tonnage reflects the enduring strength of the Inland Empire as one of the world’s premier supply chain hubs,” Elkadi said.