Sen. Dianne Feinstein has died at age 90 with years of influence behind her, and among her many legislative feats, the San Francisco-based politician notched a lesser-known achievement: championing airports across California.

But a much smaller airport in Southern California may owe its largest claim to fame — “the fastest growing airport in the country” — exclusively to Feinstein, after she helped transfer the airport’s ownership away from Los Angeles and to local control. Years later, the airport plans to honor her by dedicating its international terminal with her name.

Feinstein had a personal connection to the airport and recognized that it was an opportunity to boost the local economy.

“I recall flying into Ontario every month when I served on the California Women’s Board of Terms and Parole in the 1960s,” she wrote in a statement in 2022. “Back then, ONT was just a regional airstrip, but today Ontario is a major international airport and an economic engine, and I’m honored to have helped spark that evolution.”

In honor of Feinstein’s efforts, ONT announced last year its intention to dedicate the current and future international terminals to the senator following her advocacy and support. Feinstein’s name is also set to adorn the airport’s Federal Inspection Station facility.

In a statement after Feinstein’s death, Alan D. Wapner, president of the Ontario International Airport Authority Board of Commissioners, wrote that she was “instrumental in the creation of an agreement” that led to the transfer of ownership to local control.

“She understood the importance of ONT to the Inland Airport and the vital role it plays in meeting the growing demand for air service throughout Southern California and being a powerful economic force for the region,” Wapner wrote. 

SFGATE travel reporter Olivia Harden contributed to this report.