A survey from the city of Ontario asked LA voters what they knew about Ontario International Airport’s control. Los Angeles officials accuse the city of wanting to buy the airport at a “foreclosure” price

BY KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
STAFF WRITER
kpierceall@pe.com

Published: 17 January 2012 09:27 PM

The Los Angeles agency that owns and operates Ontario International Airport fired back Tuesday evening at leaders of the city of Ontario for offering to buy the airport back, “at a foreclosure price,” according to a statement from Los Angeles World Airports.

The city of Ontario has been in a tug-of-war for control of the airport since elected officials and staff began accusing Los Angeles of neglecting the Inland airport in favor of LAX, also owned and operated by LAWA. Ontario’s passenger traffic has plunged by about a third since 2007.

In LAWA’s statement, the agency’s executive director Gina Marie Lindsey said Ontario had offered $50 million for the airport, “that doesn’t come close to either the value of the airport today … or the value of the significant investment the city of L.A. has dedicated to (Ontario airport).”

The city of Los Angeles has been managing Ontario airport since 1967.

The statement followed the release of results from a survey commissioned by the city of Ontario.

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