S U M M E R L I V I N G / T R AV E L
SoCal,
So Easy
Ontario International Airport is leading the charge for recovery By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
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miles east of Pasadena. The full-service airport offers nonstop commercial jet service to 33 major airports in the United States, Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. The Ontario International Airport tagline is “SoCal, So Easy,” and Elkadi takes that to heart. “Your average time from check-in to going through security and getting to the gate is about 13 minutes,” he says. “It’s a very easy airport to get in and out of. The great thing is we have such a great partnership with the TSA. They do a great job of getting them through security checkpoints.” The new Aspire premium lounges make traveling comfortable and convenient for passengers. Officials for the Ontario International Airport Authority and Swissport International AG opened ONT’s two Aspire Lounges — one in each of the airport’s two terminals. The OIAA Board of Commissioners recently approved an agreement with Swissport to operate the premium lounges under the company’s Aspire Airport Lounges brand. Swissport, which operates 64 lounges at 38 airports worldwide, expanded into the United States in February with the opening of a
Ontario International Airport/Submitted
ood things are happening at Ontario International Airport, according to Chief Executive Officer Atif Elkadi, thanks to rebounding passenger numbers, new amenities, and the ease of reaching the facility. “Really, what we’ve seen in the last two months — March and April — are basically above our pre-pandemic passenger numbers,” Elkadi says. “In March, our passenger numbers were higher than the same month in 2019; a little over 4% of 2019.” Now he’s gearing up for a busy summer season. Ontario International Airport (ONT) is expecting 1.7 million passengers to pass through the airport through Labor Day. That number also surpasses 2019. “Throughout this whole process of recovering from the pandemic, we led the charge for recovery on the passenger side,” he says. “That’s been extremely exciting.” Ontario International Airport is the fastest-growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, the airport is approximately 37
Ontario International Airport is gearing up for a busy summer. 18 | ARROYO | 06.22
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