Ontario International Airport is not seeing much passenger traffic these days. Instead, ONT is one of the only in our region to see an increase in freight volume two months in a row. KVCR's Megan Jamerson.
75,000 tons of mail and packages. That’s how much freight was loaded at Ontario International Airport in April. Representing more than a 26 percent increase from last year, airport spokesperson Steve Lambert says it’s a good sign for the Inland Empire’s economy.
“To see that it’s already beginning to play out I think creates some confidence going forward that yes we will be able to see some tangible recovery impacts sooner than later,” says Lambert.
He says online shopping demands during the COVID-19 shutdown plus Ontario’s unique location as a logistics hotspot explains the increase. Not only is it as a major hub for FexEx, Amazon and UPS, but it sits next to an intersecting freeway system. He says the bump in cargo is welcomed after passenger traffic plummeted 90 percent.
“We’re certainly hoping that you know when you put it all together that it will be able to even out and there won’t be any types of cutbacks,” says Lambert.
All indications point to cargo demands not slowing down and to date the airport has been able to avoid furloughs and layoffs.