ONT achieves growth in cargo volumes for five consecutive months
13 / 08 / 2020
Ontario International Airport (ONT) in California, US, saw its airfreight volumes increase in July, while the coronavirus pandemic continued to take its toll on passenger traffic.
The hub handled 79,400 tonnes of cargo in July — a 27% year-on-year increase on the same period last year.
In addition, in the first seven months of the year, ONT processed more than 500,000 tons of cargo, 21.2% more than the same period in 2019.
Since the onset of the pandemic, ONT has recorded five consecutive months of increased cargo volumes. The airport has attributed this increase in demand to “residents increasingly relying on e-commerce to supply their households” during the pandemic.
Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority, commented: “These are extraordinary times for the air travel industry and airports around the world, including Ontario, are feeling the brunt of the impact of the coronavirus.
“Though air travel is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, freight shipments are a great insurance policy for ONT, and we expect they will continue to be a source of strength and optimism for the rest of this year and into the next.”
Meanwhile, the number of passengers at ONT in July this year was 64% lower than July 2019. Additionally, in the first seven months of the year, ONT passenger figures were 50% lower than in the same period in 2019.
