Ontario International: The heart of Southern California has room to grow

Though the name 'Ontario' drums up images of frozen highways and maybe a plate of poutine, Ontario International Airport (ONT) sits quite far away from Ontario, Canada.

Rather, it is the heart of the Inland Empire - a region in Southern California covering San Bernardino and Riverside counties, defined by a growing population (4.7 million and counting) and surging economic activity.

Perhaps more importantly, ONT is in closer proximity to Southern California's most popular attractions and gets visitors in and out of the airport, and on their way faster.

This combination of factors is fuelling the growth of ONT - named fastest-growing airport in the United States by Global Traveler five years running - and has led to its newfound successes as a cargo and passenger stalwart.

These are successes it plans to build upon.