The Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Atif Elkadi as chief executive officer of Southern California’s premier aviation gateway, effective March 31, 2022.
Elkadi joined Ontario International Airport (ONT) in 2017 and has served as deputy chief executive officer for the past three years. His extensive background in airport operations, management and communications includes positions at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dubai International Airport.
“We’re fortunate to have someone of Atif’s experience and leadership as we continue our strong recovery from the pandemic and assert ourselves further as Southern California’s airport of choice. We have full confidence is his ability to lead our ONT team in serving one of the most dynamic population and economic centers in the U.S.,” said Alan D. Wapner, OIAA president and mayor pro tem of the City of Ontario.
Since its return to local ownership in 2016, ONT has become one of the aviation industry’s great success stories, with passenger volumes climbing more than 30% to a pre-pandemic peak of nearly 5.6 million. Over the past year, Ontario has posted one of the strongest travel recovery rates in the country and was named by Global Traveler magazine as the fastest-growing airport in the country for the third year in a row.
ONT also ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in North America and is a critical hub for the movement of goods around the world.
“I am extremely grateful for the support of the OIAA Board of Commissioners, and the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary team of airport professionals. Together, we have the honor of serving one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and I look forward to building on our role as a premier passenger airport, supply chain hub and economic driver for the Inland Empire and beyond,” Elkadi said.
Elkadi has 16 years of experience in the airport industry. Before coming to ONT, he served as senior corporate communications manager at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and managed internal communications, customer service communications and social media for Dubai International Airport.
A native of Napa, Elkadi holds a master’s in Communication Management from the University of Southern California, Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Elkadi is married with six children, and lives in Jurupa Valley.
