Travel & Tourism
COVID-19 testing at Ontario International Airport in time for holiday travel season

More than a quarter-million passengers expected during holidays; drive-thru COVID-19 testing site opens today at Ontario International Airport just in time for the holiday travel season.
A drive-thru COVID-19 testing site opens today at Ontario International Airport (ONT) just in time for the holiday travel season as airport officials forecast that approximately 280,000 passengers will travel through the Southern California gateway.
Testing is available in parking lot 3 between terminals 2 and 4 from 3-9 p.m. today (Monday, November 23) , and thereafter from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week. Tests are administered by Covid Clinic, a Southern California-based non-profit which operates testing sites in California and Arizona. ONT is Covid Clinic’s 24th location.
Rapid tests with results available in as few as 20 minutes are among a variety of antigen and antibody tests offered. Rapid test specimens are processed on-site while others are sent to local third-party laboratories with results generally reported in two to four days.
“The availability of COVID-19 testing adds a new level of service and convenience to the Ontario airport experience,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. “It is our hope that on-site testing administered in the comfort of a passenger vehicle will provide peace of mind to our customers, guests and airport employees, as well as any of our neighbors who want to be tested.”
Reservations for testing at ONT, and more detailed test information and pricing, is available here. Patients may be able to receive reimbursement from their health insurance provider for all or a portion of their COVID-19 test.
Thanksgiving holiday travel spanning 11 days from Friday, November 20th through Monday, November 30th is expected to bring more than 100,000 air travelers through ONT, based on current airline schedules, while more than 180,000 are expected to depart and arrive at ONT during the winter holidays from Thursday, December 17th through Sunday, January 3rd. The total number of passengers expected in the coming weeks is 60% of the traveler volume estimated for the period last year.
Surges in COVID-19 infections across the country, government orders to pause restarts and guidance from public health officials to limit family gatherings could cause holiday travel volumes to fluctuate even more, however, as most passengers are purchasing airline tickets within 30 days of departure, Thorpe cautioned.
Nonetheless, as air travel shows signs of gradual resurgence, ONT has recorded six straight months of traffic growth since reaching its low point in April when passenger levels declined by 93%.
Ontario’s recovery ranks first among airports in California and third nationally, having regained roughly 50% of passenger volume compared to a year ago.
International carrier Volaris initiated nonstop service from ONT to its Mexico City base earlier this month. Delta Air Lines, which resumed daily, nonstop service to its Atlanta hub in July, began twice daily, nonstop flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in October. Southwest Airlines restarted its Chicago Midway International Airport route while United Airlines resumed flying to Houston’s George H.W. Bush Intercontinental Airport in August.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines announced in recent days that it will add or restart flights to seven popular U.S. destinations to its ONT schedule between February and May in 2021.
Ontario airport continues intensive efforts to keep passengers and guests safe while in the airport and to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by frequently sanitizing restrooms, gate areas and high-touch surfaces with highly effective disinfectant, and utilizing security screening trays treated with powerful antimicrobial technology.
Ontario requires appropriate face covers for all customers, visitors and employees. Passengers are urged to wash hands with soap and water frequently and use the many hand sanitizing stations that have been added throughout ONT terminals. Vending machines including personal protective equipment such as face covers, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are also located in passenger terminals.
“The pandemic has impacted life in every aspect, but we strive every day with our airline partners to take steps to reassure passengers that they can travel safely,” Thorpe said.
Travel & Tourism
Ontario International Airport to welcome STARLUX as its newest airline partner in June 2025

Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed news from STARLUX Airlines that it will begin service between the Inland Empire and Taiwan in June.
The Taipei-based carrier will initiate nonstop service between ONT and Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) on June 2, 2025, with flights operating four times a week in both directions – Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Flights will depart from Terminal 4 at ONT at 11:10 p.m. local time and arrive at TPE at 4:15 a.m. two days later. Return flights will depart TPE at 8:05 p.m. local time and arrive at ONT’s International Arrivals Terminal at 5:05 p.m. on the same day.

STARLUX offers convenient connections at its TPE hub to many destinations in East and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong, and will serve the ONT route with Airbus A350-900 equipped with 306 seats: four first class; 26 business class; 36 premium economy; and 240 economy.
“We are most grateful to STARLUX Airlines for its confidence in our airport, employees and community neighbors,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners. “Greater Ontario is the gateway to Southern California – a premier destination served by one of the fastest-growing and most popular airports in the United States. We look forward to welcoming STARLUX travelers to the convenience of ONT and all that our great region has to offer.”
The announcement comes just weeks after ONT announced that the number of international travelers in 2024 was the highest in the airport’s history, growing 5.1% to 438,896.
Travel & Tourism
Ontario International Airport Expands Reach with New Daily Flights to Chicago O’Hare

United Airlines to Link the Inland Empire with Global Destinations Through Its Chicago Hub Starting May 2025
Ontario International Airport (ONT) officials said they are pleased to learn United Airlines will begin daily nonstop service between the Inland Empire and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in May 2025.
“We are thrilled that United has chosen to add service from Ontario to its home base in Chicago, which will become our airport’s 27th nonstop destination,” said Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Airport Commissioners. “United’s O’Hare service will enable Ontario passengers to travel nearly anywhere across the globe via one of the world’s busiest airports. Providing more options to reach more destinations is what we’re all about.”
The service between Ontario and Chicago O’Hare will begin May 22 in the westbound direction, and May 23 in the eastbound direction, with a daily departure from ONT at 7 a.m. Pacific Time and a return flight departing ORD at 7:55 p.m. Central Time.
The flights are timed to offer travelers convenient connections to and from United’s global hub serving more than 180 nonstop destinations worldwide.
United will launch the route using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft equipped with 166 seats in three classes: First, Economy Plus and Economy.
The Chicago service will complement United’s existing nonstop service from ONT to Denver, Houston and San Francisco.
“This welcome news reflects the confidence of our airline partners in our facilities, services and amenities, and the strong demand for air travel through our Southern California gateway,” said Atif Elkadi, OIAA chief executive officer. “We look forward to extending the world class service air travelers have come to expect at Ontario to more airline passengers in 2025.”
The United Airlines announcement comes as ONT welcomed more than 7 million travelers in 2024, 27% more than pre-pandemic 2019 and a 67% increase since 2016 when ONT was transferred to local control from the City of Los Angeles. Ontario is the fastest growing among medium- and large-size airports in California.
Travel & Tourism
Ontario International Airport awarded $2.5 million from FAA to reduce emissions, increase sustainability

Greening the Gateway: Ontario International Airport Secures $2.5 Million from FAA for Sustainability Enhancements
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $2.5 million to Ontario International Airport’s (ONT) to further the popular Southern California gateway’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
The money is through FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low-Emission (VALE) Program and will be used to replace 22 Pre-Conditioned Air (PCA) units – external heating, cooling and dehumidifying devices that control temperatures and keep jetways and planes comfortable when aircraft are parked at the gate. The units are connected to airport electrical power sources, eliminating the need for parked aircraft to use on-board auxiliary power units, which require jet fuel.
The VALE funding comes two weeks after ONT received $4 million in FAA funding for its runway rehabilitation program.
“We are deeply appreciative to the FAA and to Congresswoman Norma Torres, who has played such a critical role in securing funding for ONT as we meet the needs of this dynamic region we serve. The VALE Program funding will allow us to replace older PCA units with state-of-the-art, high energy-efficient models that reduce emissions and improve air quality,” said Alan D. Wapner, President of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners.
Since its return to local ownership in 2016, Ontario International has been a leader in promoting sustainable airport operations through its investment in energy-efficient infrastructure, the recycling of runway and construction materials, its fleet of zero-emission shuttle buses and its support of enhanced transit to and from the airport, among other things.
This year, ONT is on pace to exceed 7 million passengers, up 75% since 2016. ONT also ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in the U.S.
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