Ontario International Airport Soars with Improvements

The Ontario International Airport will be seeing many new changes to help enhance the airport experience, according to Kelly Fredericks, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority, who spoke at the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce 1st Annual Regional Gala at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 26. Fredericks, spoke about the collective team effort and the new goals in place including development of airport related businesses, increased air service and e-commerce, reducing airport costs, and an enhanced customer service experience. He said the mission is to be innovative and have a safe and secure facility. “We really are an underserved and underutilized economic asset of not only the Inland Empire but also the entire Southern California region, and we have to plan ahead to fix that,” Fredericks said. Fredericks, who has 33 years of aviation related industry experience, also gave credit to the Ontario City Council and San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. “Without their commitment, vision and courage, we wouldn’t be here today,” Fredericks said. As one of the main goals, Fredericks said development of airport-related business could help generate more revenue. Fredericks explained that the airport is a $60 million a year business with enormous growth potential. The airport is funded through user fees from various customers and guests doing business at their airports and millions of dollars of federal funds for capital programs that come from aviation taxes generated by various aviation services. Fredericks explained the airport is required to reinvest all the money they make back into the airport. “Aviation pays for aviation,” he said. “We also have an enormous advantage at Ontario International Airport. With our footprint of land being about 1,700 acres, which 700 acres of property can be developed for a number of airport-related businesses; all which will generate revenue and reinvest back into the facility to lower the costs.” Fredericks stressed the importance of air cargo and e-commerce at the airport. In 2018, he said he hopes to house the second largest UPS facility in the United States. Then he went on to discuss the passenger growth potential the airport has. In 2005 and 2007, it was the busiest years with 7.2 million passengers. Although this year the airport has only seen 4.3 million passengers, Fredericks said the airport can grow the passenger use greatly. He spoke about working with retail, food and beverage distribution to try and reach new agreements where the businesses will invest in the airport which he said would help bring local flavor. “We appreciate those entities and those air carriers that have invested in Ontario,” he said. “But we think there is enormous room for growth.” With a big demand for cities such as Boston, New York and Washington, Fredericks said there are other opportunities and even growth potential for international carriers to travel into Paris, Germany, China and Canada. Fredericks also said that customer service has a high importance and was included in a strategic business plan in 2013 that would consider every customer service interaction whether it’s online or getting feedback from customers. “Convenience and accessibility are going to be our strongest attributes going forward,” he said. “We know that we’ve got to have a better product, more destinations, frequency and better fares and we are working toward that.” Parking became a huge revenue source for the airport, representing 23-25 percent of revenues. Fredericks explained the improvements that will be made to enhance the customer experience includes closer guest parking and valet parking programs. With the bottom line at the forefront, Frederick enlightened the audience that one of the ways to reduce airport and airline costs was outsourcing some of the traditional service that an airport would provide, such as police and fire services. Fredericks explained the airport has a partnership with the City of Ontario and the city police and fire departments to help provide public safety services. Fredericks was nominated for the position by a two-member ad hoc subcommittee of the Ontario International Airport Authority. He has served in senior leadership roles in the management of large, medium, small and non-hub airports, as well as overseeing the planning, design and construction of billions of dollars of airport development projects as an aviation consultant. “After a global search for the ideal aviation professional to manage and grow Ontario International Airport, we are extremely fortunate to have successfully recruited Kelly Fredericks,” said OIAA President Alan D. Wapner in a statement on the Ontario International Airport website. “He is a rising industry star, well-respected and well-known. He will ensure Ontario is ready to meet the growing demand for air service in the region while maximizing the airport’s positive economic impact in the Inland Empire and beyond.” The City of Ontario and San Bernardino County formed the Ontario International Airport Authority in August 2012. The OIAA provides overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of Ontario International Airport for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport’s four-county catchment area. Commissioners are Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner, president; Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge, vice president; Orange County Business Council President and CEO Lucy Dunn, secretary; Ontario Council Member Jim W. Bowman and San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman.