San Bernardino County Proclaims November 1 as ONT Day Marking a Decade of Local Control
Ontario International Airport (ONT), in the City of Ontario, San Bernardino County, California, announced on October 21 that the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed November 1 of each year as 'ONT Day,' honoring the airport's return to local control a decade ago. The formal return to local control took place on November 1, 2016. Resolutions were also advanced at the state level by 53rd District Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez and State Senator Susan Rubio.
'That day changed the trajectory of Ontario International Airport and, in many ways, the Inland Empire itself,' said Dr. Ronald O. Loveridge, president of the OIAA Board of Commissioners. 'What began as a bold effort to return a vital regional asset to local control has become one of Southern California's great success stories.' OIAA Chief Executive Officer Atif Elkadi said local control gave the region the opportunity to shape its own future, and that ONT Day recognizes the people who believed in the airport and the employees, partners and community members who continue to move it forward.
Since the transfer of ownership, ONT has significantly expanded domestic and international air service, strengthened its position as a major global logistics hub and earned national recognition for its passenger experience. Annual passenger volume has grown from approximately 4.2 million in 2016 to more than 7 million today; ONT's economic output has increased 78% under local control, and the number of jobs supported by airport activity has grown 72%. The airport will celebrate its Decade of Local Control at its State of the Airport Gala on November 6.
ONT is owned and operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, a joint powers agreement between the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County. It serves more than 7 million passengers per year and offers nonstop service to more than two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan, and was ranked the second most popular mid-sized airport by J.D. Power.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 安大略国际机场2号航站楼（资料图）。Sdkb 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Terminal 2 at Ontario International Airport (file photo). Photo by Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
