KTLA

Uber Will Stop Services at Ontario Airport Starting Friday

Starting Friday at midnight, travelers can no longer call an Uber ride to or from Ontario International Airport.

A traveler at Ontario International Airport waits for his Uber in this undated photo. (Credit: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Uber first announced its plan to end services at the hub in August, a month after the airport raised operational fees for ride-hailing companies from $3 to $4 for each drop-off or pickup.

The Inland Empire hub said it decided on the increase after a nearly two-year assessment that compared ride-hailing prices at airports across Southern California.

Ontario airport is located about 56 miles east of the Los Angeles International Airport and served a daily average of 14,000 passengers in 2018.

“These fees are not excessive, but standard,” said a post from the airport’s Twitter account. “Luckily, there are many ways to get to our airport whether via public transportation, ride-share or personal vehicle.”

Uber had hoped to have a “meaningful dialogue” with airport officials before terminating its services on Sept. 13. According to the company, the new fee is the highest among similarly sized airports in the U.S.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Uber said it will go through with its plan rather than pass the higher fees to riders.

Uber, along with its rival Lyft, first began operating at the facility in July 2017.

Lyft, which began operating at the facility at the same time as Uber in July 2017, has not announced any plans to cut its relationship with Ontario airport.

The end of Uber’s operations at the hub comes as California lawmakers move to have ride-share companies transition tens of thousands of its drivers from contractors to full-time employees.

 

 

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