The Ontario City Council on Tuesday signed off on a plan to create an airport authority, which is said to be a key milestone in its quest to dissolve a 1967 agreement with Los Angeles World Airports.
The city of Los Angeles would have to agree to a transfer of the airport's control. If local control is granted, the authority will operate the struggling airport. Ontario Airport has lost about 42 percent of its passenger traffic since 2008.
Councilmen Alan Wapner and Jim Bowman were appointed to serve as members of the Ontario International Airport Authority.
San Bernardino County was expected to approve the creation of the airport authority at its meeting next Tuesday.
"The independent airport authority we are creating through this Joint Powers Agreement with San Bernardino County is a significant step in ensuring the long-term success of the Ontario Airport," Wapner said in a statement.
