ONT opens terminals, restaurants and shops to non-travellers

Credit: ONT

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is borrowing from the past with a new programme that allows the non-travelling public to greet families and friends at the gate – or spend more time with them as they prepare to depart – all while enjoying ONT’s enhanced amenities.

ONT+ enables non-travelling guests to secure an online visitor pass, which they can use – much like an airline ticket – to enter TSA checkpoints and access the post-security side of the passenger terminal. The programme, among the first of its kind in the U.S., provides the community access to the terminal and airport services that have largely been unavailable to non-travelers since before 9/11.

“We all remember the excitement of being able to meet arriving family and friends as they get off the plane. ONT+ is a way to bring back some of that pre-9/11 experience, in a safe and secure manner,” said Dean Brown, ONT Public Safety Administrator, who worked closely with TSA in establishing the programme.

ONT+ also opens up the many dining and retail establishments located in the terminal’s upper levels to the non-traveling public. Since the airport’s return to local control in 2016, the airport has invested heavily in enhanced amenities to improve the experience for outgoing and incoming passengers, including restaurants, shops and high-end lounges.

To receive an ONT+ visitor pass, non-travelers can visit the airport website and fill out an online application within seven days of their visit. If approved, visitors will receive an your ONT+ Visitor Pass via e-mail, which they can use – along with a TSA-approved photo ID – to enter the security checkpoint. Printed ONT+ visitor passes are not accepted.

ONT+ visitors are subject to the same security regulations as passengers boarding an aircraft and are not allowed to bring items prohibited by TSA.

The launch of ONT+ comes as Ontario International prepares to celebrate six years of local ownership with its State of the Airport event on 1 November 2022 at the Ontario Convention Center. The airport will finish 2022 with its highest passenger totals since 2007, and has exceed pre-pandemic passenger levels for each of the past six months. It also ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in North America.

“ONT+ is another example of how Ontario International is always at the forefront of amenities and services that can enhance the customer experience,” added Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners.