ONTARIO, Calif., Dec. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the year of
the unimaginable came to close, Ontario International
Airport (ONT) took stock of the challenges of 2020 and
expressed a sense of optimism for the possibilities of the New
Year.
In the closing days of the year – what many consider the worst
in the history of commercial aviation – officials noted ONT's
emerging recovery, among the quickest of U.S. airports, and the
recently announced addition or resumption of service to key
destinations.
"When 2020 began, Ontario was
Southern California's newest
international aviation gateway and the fastest growing airport in
the U.S., in just its fourth year under local control," said
Alan D. Wapner, Mayor pro Tem of the
City of Ontario and President of
the OIAA Board of Commissioners. "An attractive low-cost airport
for commercial airlines, major e-commerce hub for air cargo
shippers and a driver for the region's economy, Ontario was the airport we'd hoped it would be
just a few years ago. With the vision of our commission and the
dedicated service of our staff, I can say unquestionably that
Ontario holds as much, if not
more, promise today than it did before the pandemic. And as
coronavirus vaccines become available to more Americans, I am
optimistic we will see a return to more normal travel routines in
2021."
Despite the immediate challenges in the early stages of the
pandemic, there were many encouraging signs:
- ONT recorded six straight months of traffic growth between
April and October, regaining almost 50% of passenger volume
compared to 2019, making its recovery first among airports in
California and third
nationally.
- The airport enhanced cleaning practices and instituted new
sanitization measures throughout passenger terminals designed to
protect air travelers, greeters, employees and other visitors. More
information on the airport's sanitization measures is available
here.
- ONT launched an airport-wide initiative, ONTo What Matters
Most, bringing life to the Airport's mission of providing a clean
& safe journey that connects people, places and
experiences.
- Airlines resumed or initiated new service from ONT to five
destinations in 2020 including Atlanta, Chicago (Midway), Houston (Intercontinental), Seattle and Mexico
City;
- Airlines announced flights to another nine markets by Spring
2021 including Chicago (O'Hare)
Honolulu, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento and San
Francisco;
- ONT hosted a sold-out summer drive-in movie series and added
app-based ride hail operator Wingz to its ground transportation
program to increase access to the airport; and
- In the Fall ONT established a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site
which provides results in as few as 20 minutes.
While the coronavirus pandemic impacted air travel in ways not
seen before, ONT's role as an air cargo destination – a bright spot
before the pandemic – took off in 2020, growing 20% year over
year
In November, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp.,
completed a $100 million, two-year
transformation of its ONT operations, the centerpiece of which is a
251,000 square-foot complex which includes a state-of-the-art
sorting facility capable of handling 12,000 packages per hour, nine
wide-body aircraft gates, 14 feeder aircraft gates and 18 truck
docks.
The redeveloped parcel of more than 50 acres and its modern
facilities, along with a 30-year lease extension, cemented ONT's
role as a major cargo hub in North
America.
"We can never forget the pandemic's toll on human life," said
Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer
of the OIAA. "Likewise, we will always remember how we adjusted at
Ontario airport, challenged
ourselves to adapt and collaborated with so many partners to ensure
that travel through our international gateway is safe. We faced an
unprecedented threat in 2020, and what we learned about our ability
to persevere under the most difficult circumstances will serve our
airport, our customers and the Inland Empire well as we move into
2021."
About Ontario International
Airport
Ontario
International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in
the United States, according to
Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located
in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of
downtown Los Angeles in the center
of Southern California. It is a
full-service airport which, before the coronavirus pandemic,
offered nonstop commercial jet service to 26 major airports in the
U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. More
information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow
@flyONT on Facebook, Twitter,
andInstagram
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 City Council Member Jim
W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino
County Supervisor Curt Hagman
(Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).
OIAA Media Contact:
Steve
Lambert, (909) 841-7527 slambert@flyontario.com
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SOURCE Ontario International
Airport