Fly Ontario to Let Visitors Past TSA Security
Fly Ontario, located at the Ontario International Airport outside of Los Angeles, California, is taking things back to the old days.
The airline operators at Fly Ontario recently announced their ONT+ program, which effectively allows anyone to get through TSA checkpoints after they apply for a pass.
In a press release issued on their website, Fly Ontario said the free service enables non-traveling guests to secure an online visitor's pass. This renders the general public able to greet friends and family at the gate when their flight arrives, or spend more time with them before they leave.
The access allows visitors to enter TSA checkpoints on the post-security side of the passenger terminal.
The First Program of Its Kind
The ONT+ program with Fly Ontario is the first of its kind in the United Sates. Community access to terminal and airport services have been largely unavailable since before 9/11.
Dean Brown, who worked closely with TSA to establish the program and is the ONT Public Safety Administrator, said, "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."
Fly Ontario came back under local control in 2016, and has since invested heavily in enhanced amenities. The ONT+ program also opens up the dining and retail establishments in the upper terminals to anyone with a pass.
Visitors can apply for their free pass via an online application within seven days of your visit. The ONT+ Visitor Pass arrives via e-mail if approved. That, alongside a TSA-approved photo ID, gets you past security.
Please note: Printed ONT+ visitor passes are NOT accepted.
Visitors are also subject to the same security regulations as passengers.
ONT+ also comes on the heels of the airport celebrating six years of local ownership. The airport will finish 2022 with the highest passenger totals since 2008. It has also exceeded pre-pandemic passenger levels and ranks among the Top 10 cargo airports in North America.