Rep. Calvert’s Ontario Airport Bill Included in FAA Reauthorization

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) announced his legislation (H.R. 4369) that will facilitate the transfer of Ontario International Airport from the city of Los Angeles to the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) is included in the FAA Reauthorization bill that is expected to be approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by President Obama, before the FAA authorization expires on July 15, 2016.

"I have been working tirelessly to get this bill signed into law, so I am delighted to have it included in the FAA Reauthorization bill that will be headed to the White House in the very near future," said Rep. Calvert. "The Inland Empire has waited far too long to have local control of Ontario Airport – but with the passage of this bill that wait will soon be over."

The agreement to transfer Ontario Airport is structured in such a way that $120 million in Passenger Facilities Charges (PFC) is required to be transferred from ONT to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) over ten years. Specifically, $50 million in ONT PFCs must be reimbursed to LAWA in five years and an additional $70 million in ONT PFCs must be paid back to LAWA/LAX in ten years. This transaction represents a reimbursement of LAX PFCs that were transferred to ONT in the 1990s to help pay for the construction of a new terminal. Under current law PFCs are only permitted to be applied to the airport or airport systems at which they are collected. Since LAX and ONT will no longer be connected this legislation is necessary. The legislation does not incur any cost to taxpayers.

The following members have cosponsored H.R. 4369: Norma Torres (CA-35), Paul Cook (CA-8), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Pete Aguilar (CA-31) and Mark Takano (CA-41).

Companion legislation to H.R. 4369 was introduced in the Senate by California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.

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