Ontario International Airport (ONT) saw air cargo volumes in June almost at the same level as last year.

In a statement, ONT said it recorded 71,997 tons of air cargo for the month — 67,520 (freight) and 4,478 (mail) — slightly lower than the 73,426 tons recorded in the same month in 2021 or a dip of 1.95%.

This is however 14.39% higher than the 62,938 tons in 2019.

On a year-to-date basis, the 408, 683 tons of shipments of freight and mail combined were 6.1% lower than the 435,030 tons recorded during the same period in 2021 but up 12.1% compared to the level recorded in 2019.

"We have worked tirelessly since the onset of the pandemic to be ready for a resurgence in air travel, and airlines and air passengers are showing their faith in Ontario as we continue to deliver a first-rate and stress-free customer experience," said Atif Elkadi, Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) chief executive officer.

"Air cargo shipments by weight grew more than 14% compared with June 2019. The nearly 72,000 tons which moved through ONT in June were almost equal to the same month last year," he added.

Meanwhile, for the period, ONT said passenger volume beat pre-pandemic levels for the fourth straight month in June.

More than half a million airline passengers traveled through the Southern California gateway in June, almost 8% more than the same month in 2019, and the fourth consecutive month the Southern California gateway has exceeded pre-pandemic passenger levels.

On a year-to-date basis, ONT recorded 2.6 million passengers, 2.6% higher than the first half of 2019 and 60% more than the same period last year.

"Ontario International continues to be a tremendous public asset for the Inland Empire, setting the pace for pandemic recovery among US airports while offering appealing facilities and cost-efficient services to our airline and shipping partners," said Alan D. Wapner, president of the OIAA Board of Commissioners and Mayor pro Tem for the City of Ontario.