Ontario International Airport’s groundbreaking ONT+ digital pass program that allows community members to conveniently accompany or pick up families and friends at the gate has received a prestigious Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Award from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP).
The ONT+ program, launched a year ago, was honored by IEEP in the category of Cooperation Among Cities, Counties or Agencies in recognition of the collaboration between airport staff and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in providing the non-traveling public access to the security side of passenger terminals.
Under the program, community members can obtain an almost instantaneous digital visitor pass, which they can use – much like an airline ticket – to enter TSA checkpoints and access the post-security side of the passenger terminal. The program, among the first of its kind in the United States, provides the community access to the terminal and airport services that have largely been unavailable to non-travelers since before 9/11.
More than 4,000 people a month now use ONT+.
“We all remember the excitement of being able to meet arriving family and friends as they get off the plane. ONT+ is a way to bring back some of that experience from decades ago, in a safe and secure manner,” said Dean Brown, ONT Public Safety Administrator, who worked closely with TSA in establishing the program.
Said Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority, “We are honored to have received this award from IEEP, and are grateful to TSA and all of our airport guests who have used this service and made it such a success.”
To receive an ONT+ visitor pass, non-travelers can visit www.flyontario.com/ontplus and fill out an online application within seven days of their visit. If approved, visitors will receive an your ONT+ Visitor Pass via e-mail, which they can use – along with a TSA-approved photo ID – to enter the security checkpoint. Printed ONT+ visitor passes are not accepted. ONT+ visitors are subject to the same security regulations as passengers boarding an aircraft and are not allowed to bring items prohibited by TSA.
