Uber, the pioneering ride-hailing business, has ceased operations at Ontario International Airport, saying it is leaving because of a dispute over a fee increase imposed by the airport.

The app-activated pickup and delivery service planned to stop serving ONT passengers starting one minute past midnight Friday, Sept. 13, the company confirmed on Thursday.

“I wanted to follow up and share that Uber is following through on its decision to end operations starting tonight (Friday) at 12:01 a.m. PT,” Katie Alto, an Uber spokesperson, wrote in an emailed response Thursday.

Travelers get drop off and pick up at the Uber/Lyft drop off zone in Terminal 4 at the Ontario International Airport in Ontario on Friday, Sep. 13, 2019. Starting today, Uber has ceased operations at the airport starting today. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A man gets drop off at the Uber/Lyft drop off zone in Terminal 4 at the Ontario International Airport in Ontario on Friday, Sep. 13, 2019. Starting today, Uber has ceased operations at the airport starting today. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Travelers get drop off and pick up at the Uber/Lyft drop off zone in Terminal 4 at the Ontario International Airport in Ontario on Friday, Sep. 13, 2019. Starting today, Uber has ceased operations at the airport starting today. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



On Aug. 8, Uber sent a letter to the Ontario International Airport Authority’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Atif Elkadi, saying it would stop service on Sept. 13 unless the authority was willing to renegotiate its contract. Uber had asked the airport to reduce the $4 fee for pickups and drop-offs that the airport had raised from $3 in July. Uber said the higher fees charged for using ONT roads, drop off points and temporary parking areas made it “the most expensive airport of its size in the U.S. in terms of the fees that riders would pay to use Uber.”

Uber had asked the OIAA to not implement the $4 fee until it could provide justification for the increase and explain what the extra revenue would be used for. “But they refused,” Uber wrote in an email.

Elkadi said the airport had been in talks with the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company since early August. He said the two sides discussed the fee increase, looked at different opportunities for Uber and “different ways we can partner.” But the talks were not fruitful.

“The hurdle was the one dollar increase. It was an increase they wanted us to reconsider and we are not,” he said.

Uber’s main competitor, Lyft, stands to gain from the dispute. It will continue to operate at ONT, Elkadi said. The fee imposed by the airport affected all Transportation Network Companies, namely Uber and Lyft. Taxis pay a $3 fee.

Signs indicating “Uber and Lyft pickup and drop off” areas will be changed. The airport will black out the word “Uber” until new, generic signs are made and installed, pointing passengers to ride-hailing and rideshare app service locations, Elkadi said.

“We are informing our customers to make sure they download the Lyft app,” he added. He said passengers also can get to the airport and avoid parking fees by taking Omnitrans.

Elkadi said the money raised will be used to improve airport roadways, parking lots and signage. Elkadi disputed the characterization made by Uber about high fees. He said Hollywood-Burbank Airport assesses TNCs at $3.50 per ride and the fee at LAX is $4 per ride. “Our rate is reasonable,” he added.

Uber said it had not passed the airport use fees onto its riders and did not want to start doing so.