"Federal Funds to Help Ontario, Calif., Airport Get Grip on Baggage Security"

Monday, September 15, 2003

Federal Funds to Help Ontario, Calif., Airport Get Grip on Baggage Security
The San Bernardino (CA) Business Press


Security at Ontario International Airport will get a lift with the help of a
federal grant. Permanent explosives-detection equipment built into the
checked baggage conveyer systems is expected to increase safety and speed
passenger traffic.

"The airport will be more efficient," said Jim Gourley, former executive
director of the San Bernardino International Airport. "The new equipment
will streamline the baggage checking process and cut down on waiting time,
which is an advantage in the market because passenger growth will be
inevitable."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has agreed to pay $21.4 million for
installation of the equipment at Ontario.

The remaining $7.1 million expense will be covered by the Los Angeles World
Airports, which operates both facilities. The grant was announced Sept. 2.

Los Angeles World Airports will receive a total of $256.5 million in grants.
Los Angeles International Airport will receive the largest federal grant for
a single project in its 75-year history, $235 million.

Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn lobbied the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security to assist LAX and Ontario airport with the cost of capital
improvements required by new aviation security laws enacted after 9-11.

With this money, local officials can lessen the vulnerability of aviation
transportation and increase passenger safety. "By safeguarding LAX and
Ontario, this project will protect two critical links in our regional
economy," U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D- Los Angeles, said in a
release.

Roybal-Allard is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Homeland Security.

Both LAX and Ontario airports handle 63 million passengers annually,
generating more than $65 billion in economic activity and provide 470,000
jobs, according to a release from the Hahn's office. 

"The new equipment will have an indirect ripple effect on passenger traffic
at the Ontario Airport," Ontario International Airport spokeswoman Maria
Ferman said. "[It] will encourage travelers to come to Ontario because it is
faster and safer."

Installation of the new permanent explosive detection systems is expected to
take 24 months.


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