Ontario International Airport awarded $7 million federal grant for security and terminal upgrades

Ontario International Airport (ONT) has been awarded more than $7m by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for security and terminal upgrades. These upgrades will be crucial for the airport in managing higher passenger volumes and delivering the positive passenger experience that is expected of travellers.

“We thank the FAA and the Biden-Harris Administration for recognising our need and investing in our international gateway, and we are equally grateful to our congressional leaders, Reps. Pete Aguillar (33^rd District), Norma Torres (35^th District) and Ken Calvert (41^st District), who supported our application,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Airport Commissioners.

Details of the federal grant

The Southern California gateway pursued the funding to reconfigure existing security and checkpoint areas in Terminal 2 and Terminal 4 to accommodate additional screening lanes needed to effectively manage greater numbers of passengers who are choosing ONT.

The Security Screening Checkpoint Expansion Project will increase the checkpoint capacity by adding two screening lanes at Terminal 2 and one at Terminal 4, enabling officials to reduce congestion and increase passenger throughput by up to 15% during peak travel periods. The project also includes the construction of new secure area exit corridors and improves conditions for passengers with special needs.

“Ontario International is among the fastest growing airports in the United States and we are on a record-setting pace for passenger volume. It is therefore critical that we continue to improve our terminal facilities to ensure passenger security and comfort while managing greater passenger volumes, and the FAA grant will help us do just that,” said Mr Wapner.

The Inland Empire airport is on pace to serve more than 7 million passengers this year, the highest calendar year level since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016.

The grant, which totals $7,072,000, comes from the FAA’s Airport Terminal Program which was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.