To the person flying in to the Inland Empire to discuss a business
investment in the area, Ontario International Airport has not always made the
best first impression.
| But the assessment of several dozen Inland Valley business leaders after a
first look at ONT's new ultra-modern twin-terminal complex Wednesday was, to use
an aeronautical term, a 180-degree vector.
Representatives of several fields came together as members of the Inland
Valley Daily Bulletin's Business Advisory Council, which meets several times a
year to discuss economic issues. Following the luncheon meeting in Terminal 2,
guided tours displayed the features of the $270 million terminal as workers
applied finishing touches to some of the amenities. |
 Cynthia
Vant Jul, a docent for Ontario International
Airport’s public affairs department, gives guests
a tour of ONT’s new Terminal 2 after
attending the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin’s
Business Advisory Council on Wednesday
afternoon. |
The first passengers will start filing through the gates Sunday. For those who
received their first looks at the addition Wednesday, the consensus was that the
project will turn around that earlier impression and help put the area on the
map economically.
The new terminals offer a total of 530,000 square feet, a quantum leap from
the 70,000 square feet of the old terminal. But unlike regional airports in
metropolitan areas, it's still small enough to be user-friendly.
"It's so open and airy," said Dr. William B. Relf, dean of the
School of Business and Global Studies at the University of La Verne. "The
design seems fairly simple, but it's magnificent.
"It's a tremendous improvement. There's no comparison," Relf said.
"I think it will do a lot for the economics of the valley."Gary
George, public affairs manager for GTE Telephone Operations, recalled that
Ontario's tourist industry was attempting to land a major international
convention. The area was one of two finalists for the convention, but the state
of the old terminal helped kick the decision the other direction.
| "It's gorgeous. It's been a long time coming, and well worth the
wait," George said of the new facility. "There used to be a saying
that coming in to Ontario was like coming in to a bus terminal, but not
anymore."
Airport Manager Peter Drinkwater said ONT will be heavily marketed in the
Southern California, targeting Orange County and the San Gabriel and Antelope
valleys. The strategy, Drinkwater said, is to bring in passengers within a
half-hour radius of the airport, serving travel plans better than Burbank or
John Wayne airports. |
 Peter Drinkwater, manager of Ontario International
Airport, speaks to guests during the Inland Valley
Daily Bulletin Business Advisory Council on
Wednesday at ONT. |
He added that bringing in international groups for conventions could be critical
in tapping into the foreign market.
"We're looking to bring in charter flights, and usually when charter
flights begin, regular international flights follow," Drinkwater said.
"It's mostly a matter of finding that carrier that will give the place a
try." |
