The Ontario International Airport Authority has released a video thanking Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Sen. Dianne Feinstein for supporting local control of the airport.
One month ago, Garcetti said he was in favor of returning control of the beleaguered airport to local authorities as long as Los Angeles is compensated for what it has spent on the airport.
Garcetti did not say how much Los Angeles – which has owned and operated Ontario International since 1985 – expected to receive as compensation, but Inland supporters who are battling for local control were encouraged by his remarks.
The movement to get local control of the airport started in 2010. Future growth of the airport is vital to the Inland Empire’s economy, according to local officials and regional economist John Husing.
Passenger traffic at Ontario International has dropped nearly 50 percent during the last seven years, according to Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that owns and manages the airport.
The video can be viewed at www.facebook.com/SetONTarioFree.