Airports in San Bernardino County, California: Private, Municipal, Regional(All)

Ontario International Airport and Aviation Across San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, spanning from the Inland Empire suburbs east of Los Angeles across the Mojave Desert to the Nevada and Arizona borders — a distance of nearly 200 miles. Its primary commercial airport is Ontario International Airport (ONT), located in the western Inland Empire city of Ontario and serving the rapidly growing communities of San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and the broader region. ONT handles over 5 million passengers annually, offering nonstop flights to major hubs including Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, and Las Vegas via American, Southwest, Alaska, and Delta. Big Bear City Airport in the San Bernardino Mountains provides access to the Big Bear Lake resort community at 6,752 feet elevation, while Barstow-Daggett Airport serves the desert communities near the old Route 66 corridor. Apple Valley Airport, Victorville's Southern California Logistics Airport (VCV) — a major aircraft storage and maintenance hub — and San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) round out the county's extensive aviation infrastructure reflecting its vast geographic scope.

Ontario International Airport is conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 10 and Interstate 15, making it accessible from across the Inland Empire without the freeway congestion typically encountered approaching LAX. The airport was previously a LAX satellite facility managed by Los Angeles World Airports but was transferred to local control in 2016, since which time its management has focused on growing it as a standalone regional hub for the 4+ million residents of the greater Inland Empire.

Frequently Asked Questions: Airports in San Bernardino County, California

Is Ontario International Airport growing in competition with LAX?

Ontario International Airport has positioned itself explicitly as an alternative to LAX for Inland Empire residents, emphasizing faster parking, shorter security lines, and reduced drive times from San Bernardino County communities. Since its 2016 transfer to the Ontario International Airport Authority from Los Angeles World Airports, ONT has attracted new airline routes and carriers. Southwest Airlines has been particularly active at ONT, and the airport's passenger volumes have grown steadily as the Inland Empire's population continues to expand with new residential and distribution-center development along the I-10 and I-15 corridors.

What is Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville?

Southern California Logistics Airport (VCV) in Victorville occupies the former George Air Force Base and has evolved into one of the nation's larger aircraft storage and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities. Its Mojave Desert location, with low humidity, minimal corrosion, and clear skies, makes it ideal for long-term aircraft parking. Airlines store out-of-service aircraft there for maintenance or temporary retirement. The airport also supports cargo operations and has attracted distribution center development, leveraging its rail connections and proximity to Interstate 15 for logistics purposes.

How do desert communities in eastern San Bernardino County access air travel?

Residents of Barstow, Needles, Twentynine Palms, and the high desert communities scattered across eastern San Bernardino County face significant distances to major commercial airports. Most drive 90–150 miles to Ontario International, LAX, or Las Vegas McCarran/Harry Reid International for commercial flights. Barstow-Daggett Airport provides general aviation services in the desert interior. The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms handles military aviation for that installation but does not serve civilian commercial passengers.