Ontario began as a private airstrip in 1923 and is now a major UPS and FedEx cargo airport, back under local control since 2016.
Airliners and cargo flights within 25 nm of ONT. Routes come from a community database matched on flight numbers, so a few will be wrong or out of date. Flights without a route are marked "est." and judged from altitude and climb or descent.
History
In 1923 aviators Waldo Waterman and Archie Mitchell founded the Ontario Aircraft Corporation and opened an airstrip they named Latimer Field, after a nearby orange-packing company, a few miles west of the current site. The U.S. Army Air Corps used the field for training during World War II, and the first military landing on its new paved runways was on February 27, 1942. The military left in 1947.
The first commercial flight landed on October 27, 1949, a Western Airlines Douglas DC-3. FedEx opened a cargo facility in 1987, and UPS followed with its West Coast Air Hub on July 29, 1992. The International Arrivals Terminal opened on November 15, 1993, with the first nonstop international commercial flight arriving from Mexico.
Ownership passed from Los Angeles World Airports to the Ontario International Airport Authority on November 1, 2016, returning the airport to local control.
Quick facts
- Codes
- ONT / KONT
- Latimer Field
- 1923
- First commercial flight
- October 27, 1949
- UPS West Coast Air Hub
- July 29, 1992
- Local control
- November 1, 2016
- Runways
- 8L/26R and 8R/26L
Sources: Iconic moments that shaped Ontario International Airport's legacy (Ontario Airport)
Watch and listen
Listen to live air traffic control for ONT on LiveATC. The feeds come from volunteers, so availability varies.
Where plane spotters watch
- S Haven AvenueArrivals on both ends of runway 26. Park in the designated Daltile lot and walk to the field east of the road, or stand by the fence on the west side. Don't drive onto the gravel track, which is closed for owl research.
- E Lowell Street fenceAll runway 26 movements plus the taxiway. UPS and FedEx aircraft show up here. The fence is high, so you need a tall vehicle or a ladder, and don't park too close or you'll be asked to leave.
- Business park near Mission Blvd and Mildred StBest for runway 08L arrivals, with a weaker angle on 08R.
The guide says the business park may be private property and you could be asked to leave. Readers report police questioning spotters on Haven Avenue and construction affecting the view there, so check conditions first.
As described in: Ontario (ONT) spotting guide (Spotter Guide). Guides can be out of date. Stay on public property, follow posted rules, and never block roads or driveways.