A HISTORY OF THE LA/ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 1923 Latimer Field is established east of Central Avenue, 3 miles west of the current airport - on land leased from Union Pacific railroad. The airfield is named after an orange packing company next to the airstrip. 1929 The City of Ontario purchases a 30-acre tract in the southwest corner of the present airport for $12,000. Airfield becomes known as Ontario Municipal Airport. 1941 City of Ontario purchases 470 acres surrounding the airport and approves construction of new runways. 1942 Runways completed. Army Air Corps plane makes first landing on February 27. 1943 During World War II, airport dedicated as an Army Air Corps P-38 training base and P-59 operating base. 1946 Ontario Municipal Airport is renamed Ontario International Airport because of transpacific cargo flights originating from the airport. 1947 Military departs and airport re-dedicated to civil aviation. 1949 Commercial service begins at Ontario International Airport. 1951 10,880-square-foot terminal building constructed. 1967 Los Angeles City Department of Airports co-signs joint powers agreement with City of Ontario and airport becomes part of Los Angeles' regional airport system. 1970 300 additional acres acquired. Terminal building expanded by 22,500 square feet. 1971 Airport's annual passenger volume passes 1 million mark. 1978 Passenger volume passes 2 million. 1981 Opening of new runway which can accommodate wide-body jets. 35,000 people attend dedication ceremony. 1985 Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall of Los Angeles selected as the planners, architects and engineers for new terminals at Ontario International Airport. Official transfer of title from City of Ontario to the City of Los Angeles. 1986 Passenger volume passes 4 million. 1989 Passenger volume passes 5 million. 1990 United Parcel Service breaks ground on $53 million West Coast air cargo hub. 1992 Passenger volume passes 6 million. 1993 Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approves final plans and specifications for $270 million terminal expansion project. 1995 Groundbreaking ceremony held for the construction of the new terminal complex. 1998 New terminal service at complex starts on September 27, 1998 - four months ahead of schedule and $26 million under budget. 1999 New Ground Transportation Center - housing six on-airport car rental companies - opens January 5, 1999. 2000 Air Canada offers daily round-trip service to Toronto, Canada from June 5 to September 5. jetBlue Airways begins daily nonstop, round-trip service to New York. AeroMexico begins round-trip service to Guadalajara and Mexico City twice a week. 2001 United Parcel Service begins four weekly flights to China using Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. 2002 AeroMexico begins daily round-trip service to Hermosillo, Mexico. Frontier JetExpress begins two daily nonstop flights to Denver, Colorado. Hawaiian Airlines begins daily round-trip service to Honolulu, Hawaii. Groundwork for ONT Master Plan begins. Parking Lot 5 opens adding 2,200 spaces between Terminal 4 and the Ground Transportation Center. 2003 Lineas Aereas Azteca begins daily round-trip service to Mexico City, Mexico. ONT’s $20.2 million Taxiway N Westerly Extension Project completed two weeks ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget. 2005 Chaffey Hangar removed to make way for new Security Airfield Access Point being constructed under the Airfield Perimeter Security Enhancement Part 2 Project. Los Angeles World Airports launches "Fly Ontario" ad campaign aimed at increasing passenger volume at ONT. Runway 26R/8L closed in May for reconstruction and lengthening. Passenger volume reaches 7 million. 2006 Runway 26R/8L Reconstruction Project ends and runway re-opens in March. Airport name changed to LA/Ontario International. AiRadio begins broadcasting airport conditions on 770 A.M. 2007 ExpressJet begins daily round-trip service to 14 US Cities in April.