Ontario Airport Expects 280K Passengers for Holidays
More than 280,000 passengers expected to travel through ONT from Dec. 15-Jan. 4 – up 5.4% from prior year
ONTARIO, Calif. – Arrival and departure halls at Ontario International Airport (ONT) are decked for the holidays as airport officials and employees make final preparations for the end-of-year travel surge.ONT anticipates 281,313 customers will travel through ONT during the three-week period from Dec. 15 to Jan. 4, an increase of 5.4 percent from a year ago. The busiest days, Friday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 26, each will see more than 19,000 air passengers.
“We are ready and eager to welcome even more customers this holiday seas on, continuing the impressive growth in activity since the airport’s transition to local control 13 months ago,” said Alan D. Wapner, Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) president. “We have more carriers and more flights, but we’ve also maintained our trademark hassle-free airport experience. Even during this incredibly busy time of year, ONT remains free of needless delays and inconveniences.”
Customers can take advantage of ample, reasonably priced parking in terminal lots and easy curbside access at terminals for private vehicles and ride-share services. The addition of valet parking in Terminal 4 has become a popular option for travelers driving themselves to ONT. Valet service will be expanded to Terminal 2 in early 2018.
Once inside ONT, travelers will enjoy clean, spacious and congestion-free terminal lobbies, as well as expanded and quicker security screening. The addition of a fifth security screening lane combined with the new trays customers use to send their carry-on items through x-ray screening increased screening capacity by 25 percent and passenger flow by 40 percent at the airport’s busiest terminal serving Southwest and American airlines. A new high-definition flight display system has made arrival and departure screens easier to read, while upgraded Wi-Fi delivers faster – free – internet service.
Travelers and visitors to the airport should also monitor ONT AiRadio for directions and information regarding parking options and airline terminal locations, as well as other valuable information. The commercial-free broadcasts, which began in November, are heard 24 hours a day at 620AM and via livestream at flyontario.com.
Airport police will be deployed throughout the ONT complex to keep vehicle traffic flowing, prevent congestion and keep travelers and visitors safe while they are at the airport.
About Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is located in the Inland Empire, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a medium-hub, full-service airport with nonstop commercial jet service to 19 major airports in the U.S. and Mexico, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 66 daily departures offered by 8 air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.
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About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)
The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport’s four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario Mayor Pro-Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).