New Duty-Free Retail Outlet Approved for Ontario International Airport

The Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) Board of Commissioners approved a 10-year concession agreement for the operation of a new duty-free retail outlet at Ontario International Airport (ONT).

The board's action cleared the way for 3Sixty Duty Free and More Inc. (3Sixty), a leader in global travel retail operations headquartered in Miami, to open the new retail outlet in Terminal 2 in July 2022.

3Sixty operates duty free/duty paid retail outlets at major U.S. airports in Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark and Orlando, among others. It is the world's largest inflight duty-free concessionaire, having partnerships with flagship carriers such as Singapore Airlines, the No. 1 ranked international carrier in 2020, according to Travel + Leisure magazine, Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada. The company, established in 1987, conducts business on five continents through a worldwide network of packing and fulfilment stations and retail stores.

"The Board of Commissioners is pleased to award this concession agreement to 3Sixty, with its extensive network of partners and diverse suppliers and the capabilities needed to provide the high-profile brands and customer experiences that Ontario travelers demand," said Alan D. Wapner, President of the OIAA Board. "This new concession agreement is further recognition of ONT's emergence as a global gateway, providing a world-class experience for our loyal customers."

In recent years, ONT has emerged as one of the industry's great success stories and has been ranked by Global Traveler as America's fastest-growing U.S. airport four years running. With its expanding lineup of flights and destinations and passenger volumes near pre-pandemic levels, Ontario has experienced one of the fastest COVID-19 recovery rates among airports across the U.S.

Along with that, ONT has added several new concessions in the past 12 months, including Dunkin Donuts, Chick-Fil-A and Subway – the latter of which will open in 2022. The addition of a core duty free concession further enhances ONT's position as a major aviation gateway and is now only the second Southern California international airport that will operate a duty-free concession.

"This is a major step forward in the expansion of our retail options at ONT," said Atif Elkadi, OIAA Deputy Chief Executive Officer. "We are delighted to welcome 360 Duty Free to be part of the ONT family, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership as we continue to grow and develop our business and passenger numbers. As our international traffic and destinations continues to grow, the addition of a world-class duty-free outlet will enhance the width and breadth of our retail offerings and add significant value to our customer experience."

Alex Anson, 3Sixty's Chief Operating Officer, commented: "3Sixty has over many years developed exceptional partnerships that have enabled our company to interpret traveler needs and align these to our partners brand's expectations whilst developing leading retail experiences including omni channel retail. We are excited to bring all of this to Ontario International Airport and realize the duty-free retail opportunity, enhancing the overall passenger experience."

The retail space located in Terminal 2 is 3Sixty's first airport retail operation on the U.S. West Coast. With a vast assortment of luxury brands, it will deliver a state-of-the-art duty-free experience to international passengers from Taipei, Central America, Mexico and beyond.

Under terms of the concession agreement, 3Sixty is responsible for all capital investment needed to prepare its retail space and pay a concession fee to the OIAA.