Airport Board: New Travel Rules Follow $185K Reimbursement

$184,997 was the total amount the Ontario International Airport Authority paid Councilman Alan Wapner for travel between March 2021 and June 2026. According to records released under the California Public Records Act, Wapner was reimbursed for 72 trips during that period. He served on the authority's board until recently.

The spending pattern extended beyond the airport. Across five agencies where Wapner held seats, he reported 132 trips over the same five-year span. That average equates to approximately 26 trips per year. The combined cost for his travel across all five boards was $283,630. The other four boards paid a combined $98,632 for his travel expenses.

The airport authority's expenditure stood out sharply against the rest of the board. Wapner's reimbursement was 64 times the amount paid to the other four board members collectively during the same period. Board President Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for his travel between 2021 and 2026. The remaining three board members did not request any travel reimbursements.

Wapner's airport-funded travel took him to destinations including Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid. He also made repeated trips to Hawaii. In January 2023, he billed $8,939.40 for a 17-day conference in Maui. That expense included a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several journeys, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro in April 2026 that cost $14,325. A trip to Hong Kong in September 2025 cost $12,701, with airfare alone accounting for $7,437.

Wapner defended the expenses in an email. He stated that his travel was necessary for him to be effective in his position. He added that none of the trips were junkets. Wapner claimed the journeys gave him access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials whose decisions affect airport growth.

Loveridge said the spending met the authority's rules at the time. However, he noted that commissioners did not know about the trips. Wapner did not report back to the full board, so other members were unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost. Loveridge also noted that the money came from airport revenue rather than tax dollars. Separately, Wapner earned about $250,000 in meeting stipends from the authority over the past decade. That amount is almost double what Supervisor Curt Hagman received.

The FBI searched Wapner's Ontario home on July 28. Agents also searched the homes or offices of Hagman, attorney Frank Lizarraga, and others tied to businessman James Su. Subpoenas were sent to Ontario International Airport and Ontario City Hall. It is not publicly known what investigators sought. As of October 22, no charges are known to have been filed against those searched. The City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board. He has dropped a planned mayoral run and is seeking another term on the council, where he has served since 1994.

On September 24, the airport board approved bylaw changes. Monthly stipends are now capped at $1,000. Members are limited to one domestic conference a year and one international conference every other year, each requiring advance approval. Spouses' travel can no longer be paid for. On October 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor. Wapner said the board was scapegoating him and that travel was a budget line item members could have questioned.

Other board costs included $62,855 from the City of Ontario, $17,578 from Omnitrans, $12,574 from the Southern California Association of Governments, and $5,625 from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. Catherine Lhamon of UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law and Democracy said personal profit from public service is the definition of corruption. She called for clear rules and public scrutiny of officials.