Press Room

ONT expecting increased passenger traffic for Thanksgiving holiday

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Ontario, California – November 17, 2016 — Air travel at Ontario International Airport (ONT) is expected to increase this holiday travel season as airline seats at ONT are being added on a year-over-year basis.

In issuing their first holiday traffic forecast since assuming control of ONT on Nov. 1, 2016, Ontario International Airport Authority officials predict passenger traffic for the 10-day Thanksgiving travel period that begins Friday, Nov. 18 and continues through Sunday, Nov. 27 will be 128,000, an increase of approximately 4 percent compared with the same period in 2015.

This projected year-over-year traffic growth will be driven by recently-launched Southwest Airlines service to Portland, Oregon; additional Southwest frequencies to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Sacramento and Oakland, California; and United Airlines’ change from regional jet service to larger narrow-body service to Denver, Colorado.

The busiest travel days are forecast to be Wednesday, Nov. 23, Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 27, with most flights anticipated to be fully booked on those days. Airport officials recommend passengers departing ONT during daily peak travel periods from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, arrive at the airport two hours before the scheduled departure time of their flights.

Additional parking is available this holiday season with the reopening of Lot 3 to the public at the rate of $13 per day. The daily rate for Lot 5 is $9 per day and for Lots 2 and 4,’ $18 per day. Free Wi-Fi is available in Terminals 2 and 4. Also new this year are Jake’s pop-up coffee shop and Hudson retail kiosk in Terminal 4 before security screening. Now you can get a cup of coffee and a snack while waiting to pick up passengers or retrieve your luggage. A free cell phone waiting lot is located to the west of terminals 2 and 4, directly adjacent to the former baggage claim at 1867 E. Moore Way.