Airport Experience® News - Pre-Conference Issue 2025

DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

INLAND EMPIRE ALTERNATIVE ONT Gains Traction In Hyper-Competitive Southern California Market

BY CAROL WARD

ditor’s Note: Atif Elkadi is a 15-year airport industry veteran who currently serves as the CEO for Ontario International Airport (ONT). Elkadi joined ONT in November 2017, one year after the airport – formerly managed by Los Angeles World Airports – was returned to local ownership. ONT’s growth trajectory has been extraordinary, from 2.25 million enplanements in 2017 to 3.2 million in 2023, and more growth projected for 2024. With growth has come innovation as ONT seeks to provide an easy alternative to the behemoth LAX, which lies 55 miles to the west. AXN’s Carol Ward spoke with Elkadi about the airport’s ongoing growth and evolution. E

WARD: You’ve been at the helm of Ontario International Airport (ONT) for three years, and at the airport since 2017, so you’ve been a first-hand witness to the transformation. Can you share a bit about the airport’s trajectory since the Ontario International Airport Authority took over airport ownership from Los Angeles World Airports? ELKADI: Since our return to local ownership, which was November 1st, 2016, ONT has been one of the industry’s great success stories, due to the vision of our Board of Commissioners and the hard work of our staff. We’ve really created an environment and an airport experience that is unlike any other in Southern California. We call it “SoCal. So Easy. Where comfort meets convenience.” It’s something our entire organization embraces. For 2024, we’re forecasting our passenger volume at a little over 7 million, which is up 75% since the return to local ownership. We’ve added flights to Taiwan, Hawaii, New York, Nashville, Atlanta, and we see even more expansion in in the next two years. We’ve also focused on emphasizing with our existing airline partners [the need] to

add more frequency on existing routes, and we’ve seen a lot of success behind that. We’ve invested millions of dollars in creating an experience that really puts the customer first, with easy access in our spacious terminals and the effort we put into our dining and shopping options that generally enhance the overall journey. It’s very different from if you had come through this airport 15 years ago. Another part that’s been very important to us is our partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We opened a global entry enrollment center. We’ve also added simplified arrivals to expedite our screening of incoming international travelers, and in October, we were designated by CBP as a landing rights airport, which will help us increase our international flight offerings. Domestically, we’re working with TSA on a big project starting in the middle of February, adding security screening lanes. Moving forward, we continue expansion into new markets as we meet the needs of our region, which is growing rapidly. We saw [an acceleration of] that growth during the Covid period where so many people

Above: Atif Elkadi, CEO, Ontario International Airport

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AX NEWS FEBRUARY 2025