From the start of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, ONT officials expect approximately 1,453,000 passengers, based on analysis of current airline schedules and load factor trends. The figure is 87.7% of the total number of passengers (1,657,185) who arrived and departed ONT pre-pandemic during the comparable period in 2019. The Summer 2021 travel period begins Friday, May 28, and ends Monday, Sept. 6.

“The Inland Empire’s strong economy and rapidly growing population have combined to put ONT at the forefront of airline recovery plans in Southern California,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “We look forward to a near-normal summer travel season and welcoming many travelers we haven’t had the pleasure of serving in more than a year.”

Airlines are offering nonstop service to 25 destinations this summer, with six new destinations — Charlotte, Chicago (O’Hare International Airport), Honolulu, Houston (William P. Hobby Airport), Mexico City and San Salvador. Service to San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, is the first from the Inland Empire to Central America.

The 10 airlines serving ONT have scheduled 66 departing flights per day on average from May 28 through September 6 with more than 1.8 million seats available. By August, the number of daily departures will have increased to 74. ONT forecasts more than 75% of the seats will be occupied.

Air travelers, greeters and other ONT visitors are reminded that face coverings are required in the airport and onboard aircraft.

About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic, offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)
The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport’s four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

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Americans may be rounding a corner — literally — in their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of daily passenger vehicle trips has hit a major milestone, reaching pre-pandemic levels for the first time in a year, according to data provided to The Associated Press by the transportation analytics firm Inrix, with Americans driving more often and farther than at any time since pandemic lockdowns were invoked.

The rise in vehicle travel comes amid other encouraging health and economic indicators. Consumer spending and manufacturing have been picking up. Employers have been adding workers. Governors have been easing restrictions on indoor dining and social gatherings. More auto fuel is being purchased. The winter peak in COVID-19 cases has receded. And more than one-fourth of Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Some of the largest travel increases have occurred in rural, suburban and smaller metropolitan areas, Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said.

In Pensacola, Florida, passenger vehicle miles traveled last April dipped to around 50% of the average levels of January and February 2020, before pandemic restrictions were imposed. The situation is significantly different this spring. On the weekend of March 20-21, passenger vehicle miles topped 150% of the pre-pandemic level, according to Inrix data.

“If you drove through downtown Pensacola a year ago, it was a ghost town — everything was closed,” said Kaycee Lagarde, the city’s public information officer. “Now if you go downtown, it basically looks normal as far as the number of people being out.”

Lagarde said the traffic surge appears to have been aided by tourists, who have returned to beaches that were temporarily closed last year.

In general, “higher travel is reflective of a good economy,” said Tim Lomax, a research fellow at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “They are traveling for a purpose, whether that’s a job, retail or school.”

Last spring, many vehicles got parked for an extended stay as governors and mayors issued stay-at-home orders, schools went virtual and work sites shifted from offices to homes as a precaution intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Passenger vehicle miles traveled plunged to almost half their pre-pandemic levels nationally, and declined even more in some of the largest cities with the greatest restrictions.

Less driving meant less money for state transportation departments, which rely heavily on motor fuel taxes. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials had estimated agencies could face a $28 billion revenue loss over a five-year period.

But “we’re starting to see a rebound here from a travel standpoint, and that’s been very helpful,” said association executive director Jim Tymon.

Passenger vehicle miles traveled have been climbing upward this month, reaching 112% of their pre-pandemic levels during the week ending March 19, according to Inrix, which compiles passenger vehicle traffic data from anonymous GPS signals, such as from cellphone apps.

Midsize cities, particularly in the South, have seen a resurgence. Passenger vehicle miles traveled topped 160% of their pre-pandemic levels for two straight weekends in Mobile, Alabama, and exceeded 125% of pre-pandemic levels on recent weekends in Fort Myers, Florida; Greenville, South Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Traffic also is rebounding in some of the nation’s largest cities, though more so on weekends than weekdays and not yet back to pre-pandemic levels.

Passenger vehicle miles traveled fell last April to around 40% of pre-pandemic levels in Washington, D.C. That rebounded to around 90% or greater the first three weekends of March, though it was still lower during weekdays.

Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia show similar patterns, where the weekend traffic has rebounded higher than the weekday traffic. Passenger vehicle miles hit 99% of their pre-pandemic levels in Los Angeles on March 21 after falling to well below half their norm in late March 2020.

In New York City, they exceeded 90% of their previous levels on March 20-21; they were around one-third the normal a year ago.

In San Francisco, Inrix data shows that passenger vehicle miles traveled reached 88% of their pre-pandemic levels over the weekend of March 20-21, their highest mark since March 11, 2020.

While higher traffic volumes show “there is more economic activity happening,” they also reflect a shift away from mass transit, said Jeff Bellisario, executive director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. In February, ridership on the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system remained at just 12.5% of pre-pandemic levels, he said.

Bellisario can personally attest to the change in traveling behavior. Prior to the pandemic, he didn’t own a car — instead riding public transit to get to work and biking or walking to go other places. But he hasn’t taken the rails in a year. He now works from home, and bought a car to get around town.

“My vehicle miles traveled is definitely higher than it was pre-COVID-19,” he said.

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