Airport Overview
Ontario International Airport (KONT/ONT) is a full commercial-service airport owned and operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority under a joint-powers agreement between the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County. Situated in the heart of the Inland Empire about 2 miles east of downtown Ontario and 38 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, it serves as a high-capability alternative to the congested Los Angeles basin airports for both airline and private traffic.
Runway Capability
With parallel runways of 12,197 feet (08L/26R, concrete) and 10,200 feet (08R/26L), Ontario imposes effectively no length limitation on business aircraft. Every category of private jet — light, midsize, super-midsize, and ultra-long-range heavy — operates here without performance penalty, including under high-gross-weight and warm-day conditions. The two parallel runways also provide operational flexibility and redundancy.
FBO & Ground Services
Guardian Jet Center is the dedicated business-aviation FBO at Ontario, sitting near the airport administration building. It provides 24-hour access, Jet-A and 100LL fueling, private hangars, VIP and crew lounges, conference space, flight planning, and ground handling. Because Ontario is a commercial-service field, private arrivals route to Guardian's separate general-aviation ramp rather than the airline terminals.
Charter Considerations
Ontario is one of the most useful charter gateways for the Inland Empire, Riverside, San Bernardino, and the eastern Los Angeles suburbs, often saving 45 minutes to an hour of ground time versus driving into Van Nuys, Burbank, or LAX. Its CBP presence and long runways make it equally suited to domestic repositioning and international arrivals. The Jet Finder sources Part 135 aircraft positioned near KONT and compares them against nearby Chino, Brackett, and Van Nuys options.
Customs & International Access
Ontario is a U.S. Customs User Fee airport, meaning CBP clearance is available on the field for international general-aviation arrivals; advance notice and arrangement through your handler are required. This is a meaningful advantage over many Southern California relievers that lack on-site customs, allowing direct international charters to clear at Ontario rather than diverting elsewhere.
Safety & Planning
Ontario is a 24/7 towered, radar-served airport (Ontario Tower 120.6) with ILS Category II/III approaches to Runways 26L and 26R and full RNAV coverage, supporting operations in low-visibility conditions. At 944 feet MSL, density altitude stays manageable even on hot Inland Empire afternoons. Charter flights operate IFR under Part 135 for ATC separation and structured routing regardless of weather.
Regional & Seasonal Factors
The Inland Empire experiences a hot, dry Mediterranean climate. Summer afternoons bring high temperatures and occasional Santa Ana wind events; visibility can be reduced by valley haze. Morning departures generally offer the smoothest conditions. The mild winters rarely require de-icing. Ontario's location east of the coastal marine-layer zone means it often stays VFR when coastal fields like Santa Monica or LAX are fogged in.