A HISTORY OF THE LA/ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
|
| 1923 |
Latimer Field is established east of Central Avenue, 3 miles west of the current airport - on land leased from Union Pacific railroad. The airfield is named after an orange packing company next to the airstrip. |
| 1929 |
The City of Ontario purchases a 30-acre tract in the southwest corner of the present airport for $12,000. Airfield becomes known as Ontario Municipal Airport. |
| 1941 |
City of Ontario purchases 470 acres surrounding the airport and approves construction of new runways. |
| 1942 |
Runways completed. Army Air Corps plane makes first landing on February 27. |
| 1943 |
During World War II, airport dedicated as an Army Air Corps P-38 training base and P-59 operating base. |
| 1946 |
Ontario Municipal Airport is renamed Ontario International Airport because of transpacific cargo flights originating from the airport. |
| 1947 |
Military departs and airport re-dedicated to civil aviation. |
| 1949 |
Commercial service begins at Ontario International Airport. |
| 1951 |
10,880-square-foot terminal building constructed. |
| 1967 |
Los Angeles City Department of Airports co-signs joint powers agreement with City of Ontario and airport becomes part of Los Angeles' regional airport system. |
| 1970 |
300 additional acres acquired. Terminal building expanded by 22,500 square feet. |
| 1971 |
Airport's annual passenger volume passes 1 million mark. |
| 1978 |
Passenger volume passes 2 million. |
| 1981 |
Opening of new runway which can accommodate wide-body jets. 35,000 people attend dedication ceremony. |
| 1985 |
Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall of Los Angeles selected as the planners, architects and engineers for new terminals at Ontario International Airport. Official transfer of title from City of Ontario to the City of Los Angeles. |
| 1986 |
Passenger volume passes 4 million. |
| 1989 |
Passenger volume passes 5 million. |
| 1990 |
United Parcel Service breaks ground on $53 million West Coast air cargo hub. |
| 1992 |
Passenger volume passes 6 million. |
| 1993 |
Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approves final plans and specifications for $270 million terminal expansion project. |
| 1995 |
Groundbreaking ceremony held for the construction of the new terminal complex. |
| 1998 |
New terminal service at complex starts on September 27, 1998 - four months ahead of schedule and $26 million under budget. |
| 1999 |
New Ground Transportation Center - housing six on-airport car rental companies - opens January 5, 1999. |
| 2000 |
Air Canada offers daily round-trip service to Toronto, Canada from June 5 to September 5.
jetBlue Airways begins daily nonstop, round-trip service to New York.
AeroMexico begins round-trip service to Guadalajara and Mexico City twice a week. |
| 2001 |
United Parcel Service begins four weekly flights to China using Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. |
| 2002 |
AeroMexico begins daily round-trip service to Hermosillo, Mexico.
Frontier JetExpress begins two daily nonstop flights to Denver, Colorado.
Hawaiian Airlines begins daily round-trip service to Honolulu, Hawaii. |
Groundwork for ONT Master Plan begins.
Parking Lot 5 opens adding 2,200 spaces between Terminal 4 and the Ground Transportation Center. |
| 2003 |
Lineas Aereas Azteca begins daily round-trip service to Mexico City, Mexico.
ONT’s $20.2 million Taxiway N Westerly Extension Project completed two weeks ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget. |
| 2005 |
Chaffey Hangar removed to make way for new Security Airfield Access Point being constructed under the Airfield Perimeter Security Enhancement Part 2 Project.
Los Angeles World Airports launches "Fly Ontario" ad campaign aimed at increasing passenger volume at ONT.
Runway 26R/8L closed in May for reconstruction and lengthening.
Passenger volume reaches 7 million. |
| 2006 |
Runway 26R/8L Reconstruction Project ends and runway re-opens in March.
Airport name changed to LA/Ontario International.
AiRadio begins broadcasting airport conditions on 770 A.M. |
| 2007 |
ExpressJet begins daily round-trip service to 14 US Cities in April. |
| 2008 |
Great Lakes Airlines starts service to Visalia and Merced in California, and Prescott and Phoenix in Arizona, using a Beechcraft 1900D aircraft.
Cell Phone Waiting Lot Opens. The 100-space parking lot is free of charge with a one hour maximum waiting time.
In-line baggage screening system opens in Terminal 2 and Terminal 4. The new $70 million baggage screening system carries luggage from the airline’s ticket counter area to a TSA station where officers screen luggage prior to being loaded in the aircraft.
Passenger volume decreases to 6.2 million passengers and 481,284 tons of air freight. |