BOARD APPROVES NEW AIR CARGO FACILITY FOR ONT
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today approved the selection of Aero Ontario LLC (Aeroterm) and authorized the Executive Director to negotiate a long-term land lease and agreement with Aeroterm to develop an international air cargo center at Ontario International Airport (ONT).
"This is very exciting news for Ontario Airport and the entire inland southern California region," said Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAWA) Executive Director Lydia H. Kennard.
"Ontario International Airport has been the economic engine driving the Inland Empire’s regional economy for many years," said Kennard, " and a new state-of-the-art air cargo facility will only enhance ONT’s value to the region."
Promoting cargo operations at ONT is consistent with LAWA goals regarding passenger and cargo services at ONT, according to Richard Janisse, Deputy Executive Director of Properties and Concessions for LAWA.
"Cargo to the southern California region is expected to triple over the next 25 years," said Janisse, "and as the primary capacity at LAX for air cargo is limited, it is only a matter of time before freighter operators have to move inland. Ontario is the perfect choice for us due to its location and potential for development."
Currently ONT handles more than 500,000 tons of air freight each year (547,461 tons in 2002), and is showing a 6.85% increase in 2003 over the previous year. The proposed cargo center site is located on underutilized land in the northwest quadrant of ONT and includes the former Lockheed Martin site, vacated in 1998, as well as a LAWA controlled aircraft parking area.
"The entire property measures 105 acres. Most improvements on the site are well beyond their economic and functional lives and would be demolished as part of an overall development plan," said Janisse.
The impetus for the air cargo project continues to be increasing concern over the readiness of Southern California to accommodate anticipated growth of air cargo operations in the region. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan projects 9.5 million tons of air cargo for the year 2025, with more than 2 million tons at ONT.
The City of Ontario supports the proposed air cargo development plan, and the ONT Master Plan has determined that cargo operations at the site would be a compatible land use.
"An international air cargo center will bring many valuable jobs to the City of Ontario," said Ontario Mayor Gary Ovitt, "and will help us achieve our vision of ONT as a truly international airport."
Ontario International Airport (ONT) is one of four airports owned by the City of Los Angeles and operated by Los Angeles World Airports.
