Ontario International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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 Terminal entrance in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Ontario International Airport Authority[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | |||||||||||||||
| Location | Ontario,California,U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1923; 102 years ago (1923) | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Amazon Air | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 944 ft / 288 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°03′22″N117°36′04″W / 34.05611°N 117.60111°W /34.05611; -117.60111 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | flyontario.com | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Ontario International Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[2][3][4] | |||||||||||||||
Ontario International Airport (IATA:ONT,ICAO:KONT,FAALID:ONT) is aninternational airport 2 mi (3.2 km) east of downtownOntario, inSan Bernardino County, California, United States, about 38 mi (61 km) east ofdowntown Los Angeles and 18 mi (29 km) west ofdowntown San Bernardino. It is owned and operated under a joint-powers agreement with the city of Ontario and San Bernardino County.[1]
The airport covers 1,741 acres (705 ha) and has two parallelrunways.[2][5] It is the West Coast air and truck hub forUPS Airlines and is a major distribution point forFedEx Express. As of September 2018[update], ONT has more than 64 daily departures and arrivals.[6] Since Ontario's longest runway (runway 8L/26R) is longer than three of the four runways atLos Angeles International Airport (LAX), it is an alternate landing site for large aircraft destined for LAX.[7]
In 1923, a landing field was established east of Central Avenue (3 mi (4.8 km) west of the current airport) on land leased from theUnion Pacific Railroad. The airfield was namedLatimer Field after an orange-packing company next to the airstrip. An airport was built there by one of the first flying clubs in Southern California, the Friends of Ontario Airport. In 1929, the city of Ontario purchased 30 acres (12 ha), now in the southwest corner of the airport, for $12,000 (equivalent to $220,000 in 2024),[8] and established theOntario Municipal Airport.
In 1941, the city bought 470 acres (190 ha) around the airport and approved construction of new runways, which were completed by 1942, with funds from theWorks Progress Administration. The 6,200 ft (1,900 m) east–west runway and the 4,700 ft (1,400 m) northeast–southwest runway cost $350,000 (equivalent to $6,740,000 in 2024).[9] On 27 February 1942, anArmy Air Corps plane made the first landing at the new airport. By 1943, the airport was an Army Air CorpsLockheed P-38 Lightning training base andNorth American P-51 Mustang operating base.
After the war, it was one of the five large storage, sales, and scrapping centers forArmy Air Forces aircraft established by theReconstruction Finance Corporation; others were atAlbuquerque AAF,New Mexico;Altus AAF,Oklahoma;Kingman AAF,Arizona; andWalnut Ridge AAF,Arkansas.
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In 1946, Ontario Municipal Airport was renamed "Ontario International Airport" because of the trans-Pacific cargo flights originating there. On 17 May 1946, two Army surplus steel hangars arrived at the airport, which the Ontario city council had authorized the $50,000 purchase of just the previous week. City officials were pleased to have secured a bargain. Thought to be the only pair available in the U.S., City Manager Harold J. Martin observed that even if they could be acquired at a later date, the cost would be several times that afforded by prompt action.[10] APacific Overseas Airlines flight fromShanghai arrived at Ontario on 18 May 1946, "which inaugurated regular round-trip air passenger service between the United States and the Orient."[11] In 1949,Western Airlines began scheduled flights; in 1955,Bonanza Air Lines flights started. Western and Bonanza nonstops did not reach beyondLas Vegas. In 1962, Western began nonstop flights toSan Francisco (oneElectra daily). In 1967, Bonanza began nonstopF27 flights toPhoenix.
Ontario and Los Angeles entered into a joint-powers agreement, making Ontario International Airport part of the Los Angeles regional airports system in 1967.[12] In 1968, the airport had its first scheduled jet flights. In 1969,Continental Airlines startedBoeing 720B nonstops toDenver and Chicago;Air California startedBoeing 737 flights toSan Jose;Pacific Southwest Airlines started San Francisco flights; and Western began 737 nonstops toSacramento andSalt Lake City. In 1970,United Airlines started a nonstop to Chicago andAmerican started flights toDallas (and Chicago, for a short time). In September 1986, Ontario hosted theConcorde supersonic airliner during a promotional round-the-world flight.[13]
In 1981, a second east–west runway, 26L/8R, was built, necessitating the removal of the old NE-SW runway 3/21. Remnants of the 3/21 runway are visible in the present-day taxiways. With the completion of the new runway, the existing runway 25/7 became 26R/8L. In 1985, the city of Los Angeles acquired Ontario International Airport outright from the city of Ontario. In 1987, Runway 26R/8L was extended to the east to bring the two runway thresholds side by side, so aircraft would be higher over neighborhoods. 26R/8L became the main departing runway and 26L/8R the main arrival runway.
For a number of years, the airport operated alongsideOntario Air National Guard Station, which was closed as a result of the1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
In 1998, the new and largerairport terminal opened, designed byDMJM Aviation.[14] Two older terminals, west of the current terminal, the main terminal and a small terminal were discontinued when the new Terminal 2 and Terminal 4 facilities were opened. The old terminals currently house the administration and the USO.
In 2005 and 2006, runway 26R/8L was repaved and strengthened, and received storm drains and better runway lighting, and additional improvements to taxiway intersections were made.[15]
In 2006, Ontario International Airport becameLA/Ontario International Airport. The "LA" portion was added to remind fliers of Greater Los Angeles and to avoid confusion with theprovince of Ontario in Canada.[16]
The airport's traffic peaked in 2005 with 7.2 million passengers, and remained steady through 2007. Around the time of the2008 financial crisis,JetBlue suspended service to ONT, and major legacy carriers significantly decreased their passenger volume at the airport.[17]Southwest Airlines transferred a significant portion of its Ontario capacity toLos Angeles International Airport (LAX), making LAX fares more competitive with ONT, while being coupled with more attractive frequencies and a wider range of destinations. The surroundingInland Empire region was heavily affected by the2008 financial crisis, with the nearby city ofSan Bernardino declaring bankruptcy.[18] The airport suffered a 40% decline in traffic between 2007 and 2012,[19] during which time traffic at LAX recovered to surpass prerecession levels.[17]
Ownership and control of the airport became an issue in late 2010, when the city of Ontario, supported by theSouthern California Association of Governments, criticized and questioned LAWA's operation of the airport.[20][21][22] A group of local government officials, led by Ontario city council member Alan Wapner, began a campaign to transfer control of the airport away fromLos Angeles World Airports. Wapner argued that the City of Los Angeles had no interest in maintaining service at an airport well beyond its borders.[18] In 2013, LAWA offered to return the airport to local control for a purchase price of $474M, which was rejected.[23] Local groups then sued the city of Los Angeles, a suit that was temporarily suspended when both sides agreed to attempt to work together.[24]
In 2015, Los Angeles World Airports agreed to turn over ownership of Ontario Airport to the city of Ontario. LAWA was "to be reimbursed for its investments in the facility, job protection for the facility's 182 employees and the settlement of a lawsuit in which Ontario sought to regain control of the airport. Upon transfer of ownership, the airport would be operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, formed under ajoint-powers agreement between the city of Ontario and San Bernardino County". TheOntario International Airport Authority took over control of operations in November 2016, and the airport's operating name was reverted to Ontario International Airport, since the City of Los Angeles no longer oversaw operations of the airport.[6][25]
The airport's continuing traffic decline reversed in early 2017, when the airport experienced faster growth than LAX for the first time since 2007.[26] On September 30, 2017, it was announced thatChina Airlines would begin nonstop flights from Ontario to Taipei, which started in spring 2018.[27][28]
On July 14, 2023,New Pacific Airlines (formerly known as Northern Pacific Airways) commenced operations and made its first flight toHarry Reid International Airport inLas Vegas,Nevada, and started flights toReno–Tahoe International Airport, also in Nevada, andNashville International Airport inTennessee. Also on that day, Volaris added flights to El Salvador. On January 1, 2024, New Pacific Airlines ended flights to Las Vegas and subsequently discontinued all scheduled service altogether.[29]
Ontario International Airport has two terminals with 26 gates and a separate adjacent international arrivals facility with 2 arrival-only gates, totaling 28 gates.[30]
Terminal 2 has 265,000 sq ft (24,600 m2) and 12 gates.[31]Alaska Airlines,Avianca El Salvador,China Airlines,Delta Air Lines,Frontier Airlines,JetBlue,United Airlines, andVolaris are located in Terminal 2.
Terminal 4 has 265,000 sq ft (24,600 m2) and 14 gates.[32]American Airlines,Hawaiian Airlines,Starlux Airlines, andSouthwest Airlines are located in Terminal 4.
The international arrivals facility has two gates for arrivals only, containing the airport'sU.S. Customs and Border Protection facility.[33] International flights depart from the main terminals.Avianca,China Airlines,Starlux Airlines, andVolaris are the only airlines with international arrivals that operate this terminal.
A USO is housed in the old terminal complex near the international arrivals facility.[34]
Remote parking is located on the east end of the airport (moved from its former location at the west end). On the east end is a ground transportation center that consolidates the rental car companies in one central location. TheOmnitrans 61 bus traverses the airport, providing connections to each of the terminals, rental car and remote parking lots, and public transit stops.
General aviation is located at the south side of the airport, although most general-aviation pilots tend to use a number of nearby airports:Redlands Municipal Airport,Chino Airport,Brackett Field inLa Verne,Cable Airport inUpland, orSan Bernardino International Airport.
Ontario has fewnoise restrictions/abatement rules, unlike other Southern California airports, such asJohn Wayne Airport,Hollywood Burbank Airport (Bob Hope),Long Beach Airport, andSan Diego International Airport, which all have very strict policies.[35] The airport is allowed to operate 24/7, but during the hours of 22:00 to 07:00, all aircraft must arrive from the east on runway 26L or 26R and take off to the east on runway 8R or 8L, depending on ATC instruction. This procedure is known as "Contra-Flow" operations and applies to turbojet or turbofan aircraft. This procedure is similar to the one employed by LAX, where all landings are conducted from the east and all takeoffs are to the west (known as "over-ocean" operations) between 00:00 and 06:30. Both of these procedures are employed as long as weather and/or construction activity permits. This is done in an effort to be better neighbors and minimize the noise impact to the surrounding communities as much as possible. Residents of cities west of the airport have complained of increased noise as a result of the airport's refusal to abide by noise abatement rules.[36]
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The airport is located about 38 miles (61 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, 18 miles (29 km) west ofdowntown San Bernardino, and 14 miles (23 km) northwest ofdowntown Riverside. Motorists can use theSan Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10),Ontario Freeway (Interstate 15), or thePomona Freeway (State Route 60).
Omnitrans, San Bernardino County's main public transportation agency, operates three routes near the airport.[37] Route 380, also called ONT Connect, provides non-stop daily service every 35 to 60 minutes between the airport andRancho Cucamonga station,[38] where passengers can connect to Metrolink'sSan Bernardino Line, which operates daily with service toLos Angeles Union Station. Route 61 operates daily betweenPomona–Downtown station,Ontario station, the airport, andFontana station. Both routes 61 and 380 operate from stops located east of baggage claim at terminals 2 and 4. Route 81 operates Monday through Saturday on Haven Avenue which runs along the eastern edge of the airport betweenChaffey College andOntario–East station, where passengers can connect to Metrolink'sRiverside Line, which operates during weekday peak periods.
As a cost-effective solution compared to the proposed extension of theFoothill Extension project fromMontclair Transcenter to Ontario International Airport, estimated at around $1–1.5 billion,[39] the SBCTA and the airport are currently in the process of trying to implement a tunnel with autonomous, zero-emission vehicles on an on-demand basis from theMetrolinkSan Bernardino Line'sRancho Cucamonga station to Ontario International Airport.[40]
Initially,The Boring Company proposed constructing a single 2.8-mile (4.5 km) tunnel similar to theLas Vegas Convention Center Loop that would cost $60 million.[39] The company eventually dropped out of the project because they refused to submit another refined proposal.[41]
The SBCTA moved forward with plans on the project.[42] The new plans for the project include two 4.2-mile (6.8 km) tunnels that will cost roughly $492 million.[43] The SBCTA selectedHNTB as their new contractor to design, build, and maintain the project.[44]
As of October 2024,[45] the proposed route follows a reversed L-shaped alignment consisting of the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink Station, Milliken Avenue, and East Airport Drive towards Ontario airport
.
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 385,000 | American, Frontier |
| 2 | Denver, Colorado | 376,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 3 | Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona | 348,000 | American, Frontier, Southwest |
| 4 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 320,000 | Frontier, Southwest |
| 5 | Seattle/Tacoma, Washington | 293,000 | Alaska, Delta, Frontier |
| 6 | Sacramento, California | 214,000 | Frontier, Southwest |
| 7 | San Francisco, California | 164,000 | Frontier, United |
| 8 | Atlanta, Georgia | 157,000 | Delta |
| 9 | Oakland, California | 145,000 | Southwest |
| 10 | San Jose, California | 123,000 | Southwest |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Taipei–Taoyuan, Taiwan | 208,400 | China Airlines |
| 2 |  Guadalajara, Mexico | 166,411 | Volaris |
| 3 |  San Salvador, El Salvador | 64,085 | Avianca, Volaris |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Airlines | 2,535,000 | 38.61% |
| 2 | American Airlines | 1,044,000 | 15.97% |
| 3 | Frontier Airlines | 917,000 | 14.02% |
| 4 | Delta Airlines | 496,000 | 7.58% |
| 5 | United Airlines | 489,000 | 7.48% |
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6,121,623 | 2002 | 6,516,858 | 2012 | 4,318,994 | 2022 | 5,740,593 |
| 1993 | 6,192,035 | 2003 | 6,547,877 | 2013 | 3,969,974 | 2023 | 6,430,033 |
| 1994 | 6,386,000 | 2004 | 6,937,337 | 2014 | 4,127,278 | 2024 | 7,084,864 |
| 1995 | 6,405,097 | 2005 | 7,213,528 | 2015 | 4,209,311 | ||
| 1996 | 6,252,838 | 2006 | 7,049,904 | 2016 | 4,217,366 | ||
| 1997 | 6,300,862 | 2007 | 7,207,150 | 2017 | 4,552,225 | ||
| 1998 | 6,434,858 | 2008 | 6,232,761 | 2018 | 5,115,894 | ||
| 1999 | 6,578,005 | 2009 | 4,886,695 | 2019 | 5,583,732 | ||
| 2000 | 6,756,086 | 2010 | 4,808,241 | 2020 | 2,538,482 | ||
| 2001 | 6,702,400 | 2011 | 4,551,875 | 2021 | 4,496,592 |
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