Present-day Operations
The airport covers 1,700 acres (690 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). LA/Ontario International Airport is typically less crowded than LAX; according to Forbes.com it is one of the five best alternate airports in America. It is the West Coast air and truck hub for UPS and is a major distribution point for FedEx Express. LA/Ontario International Airport was a hub for the independent operations of ExpressJet, which began service to 14 destinations in April 2007. This service ended on September 2, 2008.
Thanks to Ontario's long runways (runway 8L/26R is longer than any of those at LAX), it is often used as an alternate landing site for large aircraft when LAX is inaccessible due to weather conditions or other reasons. It is an important alternate airport, since many trans-Pacific flights headed to LAX may have insufficient fuel remaining to reach other major airports. Due to Ontario's relatively small customs facilities and limited options for connecting flights, such rerouted flights typically do not disembark passengers at Ontario. Instead, the airport is usually used to refuel the aircraft, which then depart for a short flight to LAX once landing conditions there have improved.
The airport is located approximately 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 either use the San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10), Ontario Freeway (Interstate 15), or the Pomona Freeway (State Route 60) to access the airport. It is also served by Omnitrans bus route 61 and by private shuttles.
By the end of 2006 Ontario International Airport was renamed to LA/Ontario International Airport to entice travelers from the over-trafficked Los Angeles International Airport and also to reduce confusion with Ontario, Canada. LA/Ontario Airport is owned by the city of Los Angeles (LA World Airports) ONT currently has more than 64 daily departures and arrivals.
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.
Read more about this topic: Ontario International Airport
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