Ontario International Airport

This article is about the airport in California, United States. For airports in Ontario, Canada, see List of airports in Ontario. For the airport in Ontario, OR, see Ontario Municipal Airport.
Ontario International Airport
IATA: ONT – ICAO: KONT – FAA LID: ONT
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Ontario International Airport Authority[1]
Operator Ontario International Airport Authority[2]
Serves Ontario, California / Inland Empire, California
Location Ontario, California
Hub for UPS Airlines
Elevation AMSL 944 ft / 288 m
Coordinates 34°03′22″N 117°36′04″W / 34.05611°N 117.60111°W / 34.05611; -117.60111Coordinates: 34°03′22″N 117°36′04″W / 34.05611°N 117.60111°W / 34.05611; -117.60111
Website www.flyontario.com
Maps

FAA airport diagram
ONT
ONT
ONT

Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8L/26R 12,197 3,718 Concrete
8R/26L 10,200 3,109 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Aircraft operations 88,074
Passengers 4,209,311

Ontario International Airport (IATA: ONT, ICAO: KONT, FAA LID: ONT) is a public airport two miles east of downtown Ontario, a city in San Bernardino County, California, US, and about 38 miles (61 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles. It is currently owned and operated under a joint powers agreement with the city of Ontario and San Bernardino County.[5] 2005 saw a peak in passenger use with 7.2 million passengers.[6] More recently, in 2015, 4.2 million passengers used the airport, slightly higher than in 2014 with 4.1 million passengers.[7][8]

In 2015 Southwest Airlines carried 59% of departing passengers.[9]

History

Ontario Municipal Airport

In 1923 a landing field was established east of Central Avenue (3 miles (4.8 km) west of the current airport) on land leased from the Union Pacific Railroad. The airfield was named Latimer 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, and established the Ontario 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 the Works Progress Administration. The 6,200-foot (1,900 m) east/west runway and the 4,700-foot (1,400 m) northeast/southwest runway cost $350,000.[10] On February 27, 1942, an Army Air Corps plane made the first landing at the new airport. By 1943, the airport was an Army Air Corps Lockheed P-38 Lightning training base and North American P-51 Mustang operating base.

Ontario International Airport

In 1946 Ontario Municipal Airport was renamed "Ontario International Airport" because of the transpacific cargo flights originating there. In 1949 Western Airlines began scheduled flights; in 1955 Bonanza Air Lines flights started. Western and Bonanza nonstops did not reach beyond Las Vegas. In 1962 Western began nonstop flights to San Francisco (one Electra daily). In 1967 Bonanza began nonstop F27 flights to Phoenix.

Ontario and Los Angeles entered into a joint powers agreement, making Ontario International Airport part of the Los Angeles regional airports system.[11] In 1968 the airport saw its first scheduled jet flights. In 1969 Continental Airlines started 720B nonstops to Denver and Chicago; Air California started 737 flights to San Jose; Pacific Southwest Airlines started San Francisco flights; and Western began 737 nonstops to Sacramento and Salt Lake City. In 1970 United Airlines started a nonstop to Chicago and American started flights to Dallas (and Chicago, for a short time). In October 1974, Ontario hosted the Concorde supersonic airliner during a promotional round-the-world flight.

In 1981 a second east-west runway, 26L/8R, was built, necessitating the removal of the old NE-SW runway 4/22. Remnants of the 4/22 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.

In 1998 the new and larger airport terminal opened, designed by DMJM Aviation .[12] 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 2005–2006: Runway 26R/8L was repaved, strengthened, and received storm drains and better runway lighting, additional improvements to taxiway intersections were made.[13] Aeroméxico started seasonal flights to Guadalajara and Mexico City, the only international flights from/to Ontario.[14]

Ontario Air National Guard Station

For a number of years, the airport operated alongside Ontario Air National Guard Station, which was closed as a result of the 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

LA/Ontario International Airport

In 2006, Ontario International Airport became "LA/Ontario International Airport." The "LA" portion was added to remind fliers of Los Angeles and to avoid confusion with the province of Ontario in Canada.[15]

Since November 2016, being now run by the Ontario International Airport Authority, the operating name has reverted to Ontario International Airport.[16]

Ownership and control issues

Ownership and control of the airport became an issue in late 2010 when the city of Ontario, supported by the Southern California Association of Governments, criticized and questioned LAWA's operation of the airport.[17][18][19]

In 2013, LAWA offered to return the airport to local control for a purchase price of $474mm, which was rejected.[20] Local groups then sued the city of Los Angeles, a suit that was temporarily suspended when both sides agreed to attempt to work together.[21]

In 2015, Los Angeles World Airports tentatively agreed to turn over ownership of Ontario Airport to the city of Ontario, according to the Los Angeles Times.LAWA is "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. ... Once ownership is transferred, the airport will be operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, formed under a joint-powers agreement between the city of Ontario and San Bernardino County."

The transfer was completed on November 1, 2016 from Los Angeles World Airports to the Ontario International Airport Authority.[22]

Present-day operations

Ontario Airport is owned and operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority. The airport covers 1,741 acres (705 ha) and has two runways. It is the third major airport in the area after Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and John Wayne Airport (SNA). It is the West Coast air and truck hub for UPS Airlines and is a major distribution point for FedEx Express. Ontario International Airport was a hub for ExpressJet, which began service to 14 destinations in April 2007. This service ended on September 2, 2008.[23] ONT currently has more than 64 daily departures and arrivals.[24]

Thanks to Ontario's long runways (runway 8L/26R is longer than any at LAX), it is often an alternate landing site for large aircraft destined for LAX. Due to Ontario's small customs facilities and limited connecting flights, such flights typically do not disembark passengers at Ontario. Diverted aircraft are typically refueled, before continuing on to LAX.

The airport is about 38 miles (61 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, 18 miles (29 km) west of downtown San Bernardino and 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown Riverside. Motorists can use the San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10), Ontario Freeway (Interstate 15), or the Pomona Freeway (State Route 60). It is served by Omnitrans bus route 61 and by private shuttles.[25]

Noise restrictions

Ontario has few noise restrictions/abatement[26] rules, unlike other Southern California airports such as John Wayne Airport, Bob Hope Airport, Long Beach Airport, and San Diego International Airport, which all have very strict policies. The airport is allowed to operate 24/7, but during the hours of 10 pm to 7 am 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 turbo-jet or turbo-fan aircraft. This procedure is similar to the one employed by LAX, where all landings are conducted from the west and all takeoffs are to the west (known as "over-ocean" operations) between midnight and 6:30 a.m. 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.

Terminals

Ontario International Airport has two terminals and a separate adjacent international arrivals facility.[27] The terminal numbering scheme was originally designed to accommodate future growth under a prior airport master plan.

Terminal 2 has 265,000 square feet (24,600 m2) and 12 gates (201–212). Terminal 4 has 265,000 square feet (24,600 m2) and 14 gates (401–414). The International arrivals facility has 2 gates for arrivals only, containing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection FIS/Federal Inspection Service. International flights depart from the main terminals.

A USO is housed in the old terminal complex near to the separate international arrivals facility.[28]

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. A circulator bus circles the airport and provides 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 Airport, Chino Airport, Brackett Field in La Verne, Cable Airport in Upland, or San Bernardino International Airport.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsTerminal
Aeroméxico Guadalajara 2
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma 2
Alaska Airlines
operated by SkyWest Airlines 		Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma 2
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor 4
Delta Air Lines Salt Lake City 2
Delta Connection Salt Lake City 2
Southwest Airlines Chicago–Midway, Dallas–Love (begins January 15, 2017), Denver, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Jose (CA) 4
United Airlines Denver 2
United Express San Francisco 2
Volaris Guadalajara 2

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
ABX Air Dallas/Fort Worth, Wilmington
Ameriflight Bakersfield, Burbank, Palm Springs, Tijuana
Air Transport International Charlotte, Chicago/Rockford
FedEx Express Fort Worth/Alliance, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma
FedEx Feeder
operated by West Air 		Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo
Kalitta Air Philadelphia
UPS Airlines Albuquerque, Anchorage, Chicago/Rockford, Columbia (SC), Denver, Des Moines, Fresno, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kailua–Kona, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), San Jose (CA), Seattle–Boeing, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Hartford, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Reno/Tahoe

Statistics

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes from ONT (September 2015 – August 2016)[29]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona 369,000 American/US Airways, Southwest
2 Oakland, California 249,000 Southwest
3 Sacramento, California 236,000 Southwest
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 218,000 American
5 Las Vegas, Nevada 167,000 Southwest
6 San Jose, California 133,000 Southwest
7 Seattle/Tacoma, Washington 130,000 Alaska
8 Denver, Colorado 128,000 Southwest, United
9 San Francisco, California 119,000 United
10 Salt Lake City, Utah 82,000 Delta

Airline market share

Largest Airlines at ONT (Apr 2015 – Mar 2016)[30]
Rank Airline Passengers Share
1 Southwest Airlines 2,374,000 58.70%
2 American Airlines1 646,000 15.96%
3 SkyWest Airlines 584,000 14.44%
4 Alaska Airlines 172,000 4.25%
5 Mesa Airlines 112,000 2.76%
Notes

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at ONT, 1992 through 2015[31][32][33]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
19926,121,62320026,516,85820124,318,994
19936,192,03520036,547,87720133,969,974
19946,386,00020046,937,33720144,127,278
19956,405,09720057,213,52820154,209,311
19966,252,83820067,049,904
19976,300,86220077,207,150
19986,434,85820086,232,761
19996,578,00520094,886,695
20006,756,08620104,808,241
20016,702,40020114,551,875

Cargo operations

Ontario is a major southwestern gateway hub for UPS. Over 200 pilots are based at the Ontario hub. Ontario is the UPS Western Region hub for both air and trucking operations within a 13-state region. In addition to serving intra-regional traffic, the hub links to UPS's global hub in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ontario hub processes inbound UPS Next Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air packages destined for Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and Ventura counties. It provides outbound package delivery service from homes and businesses in the Inland Valley for delivery to destinations around the world. ONT serves as gateway for UPS' cargo flights to and from China. The Ontario facility sorts and distributes a majority of UPS international packages bound for delivery to the Pacific Rim. Four of the six direct weekly flights flown by UPS to China originate at the Ontario hub.

References

  1. ↑ http://ontariooiaa.com/about/
  2. ↑ http://ontariooiaa.com/about/
  3. ↑ FAA Airport Master Record for ONT (Form 5010 PDF), effective December 20, 2007
  4. ↑ "Statistics — Volume of Air Traffic" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. December 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  5. ↑ http://ontariooiaa.com/about/
  6. ↑ "Statistics — Volume of Air Traffic" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. December 2005. Retrieved Nov 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Statistics — Volume of Air Traffic" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. December 2015. Retrieved Nov 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Statistics — Volume of Air Traffic" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. December 2014. Retrieved Nov 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ "DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistic - Search for December 2015 includes prior 12 months". Retrieved Nov 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Ontario Air National Guard Station". California State Military Museum. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  11. ↑ "QA Ontario International Airport" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Architectural Glass Design
  13. ↑ "Ontario International Airport Runway Construction Project To Begin". April 26, 2005. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "AeroMexico to launch Ontario-Mexico City route". March 25, 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  15. ↑ Passenger growth at Ontario airport stagnant | Business | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
  16. ↑ http://www.flyontario.com/airport-information
  17. ↑ Locals Want to Run Ontario Airport, KNBC-TV
  18. ↑ Ontario: L.A. should relinquish control of Ontario Airport, Daily Breeze
  19. ↑ Regional support for Inland control of Ontario airport, The BizPress
  20. ↑ Ontario rejects $474 million offer for airport, Daily Bulletin
  21. ↑ Feinstein says LA should work with Ontario, Daily Breeze
  22. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ontario-airport-20161101-story.html
  23. ↑ Hamilton, Dane (July 9, 2008). "ExpressJet suspends commercial operations". Reuters.
  24. ↑ http://www.flyontario.com/airport-information
  25. ↑ Scauzillo, Steve (April 28, 2014). "Gold Line to Ontario Airport off track; bill withdrawn by author". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  26. ↑ http://www.flyontario.com/general-information/noise-management?
  27. ↑ http://www.flyontario.com/maps/airport-overview
  28. ↑ http://bobhopeuso.org/our-locations/ontario-airport-uso/
  29. ↑ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". transtats.bts.gov. September 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  30. ↑ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". transtats.bts.gov. May 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  31. ↑ Press release. Retrieved on Feb 12, 2015.
  32. ↑ Ontario Airport Statistics. Retrieved on May 3, 2014.
  33. ↑ http://www.pe.com/articles/airport-792810-passenger-cargo.html ONTARIO: Airport passenger, cargo volumes climbed in 2015 Retrieved on Feb 19, 2016.
  34. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036868/locations
  35. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054653/locations?ref_=tt_ql_dt_6
  36. ↑ Frasher, Steven Airport Serves as Backdrop for Hollywood Movie Scenes 'Press Enterprise' - Retrieved January 27, 2016
  37. ↑ Verrier, Richard L.A. plays Tehran in Ben Affleck caper 'Argo' 'Los Angeles Times' - Retrieved January 27, 2016
  38. ↑ City of Ontario Need to do some star watching? No need to go to Hollywood 'Ontario EDA' - Retrieved January 27, 2016
  39. ↑ http://www.starpulse.com/top-gear-usa-recap-airport-mayhem-in-big-bad-trucks-1848391832.html?page=2
  40. ↑ Evan, Maria Here Are the Actual Sites From "Mad Men's" Season 7 Premiere 'Franklin Avenue' - Retrieved January 27, 2016
  41. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411697/locations?ref_=tt_ql_dt_6
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