Wapner Reimbursed $185,000 for 72 Trips Before Airport Board Tightens Travel Rules

Ontario City Council member Alan Wapner billed the Ontario International Airport Authority $184,997 for 72 trips between March 2021 and June 2026. California Public Records Act requests revealed the spending by the former authority board member, who held seats across five agencies during that period.

The airport authority’s reimbursement to Wapner was 64 times larger than the combined travel costs for the other four board members. Board president Ron Loveridge received $2,865 for the same five-year span. The other three members did not request reimbursement from that agency.

Wapner’s total travel expenses across all five agencies reached $283,630. The airport authority accounted for the majority of that sum. The remaining four boards paid a combined $98,632. These other payments 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.

The airport-funded trips included destinations such as Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, the Bahamas, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid. Wapner also made repeated visits to Hawaii. A January 2023 conference in Maui cost $8,939.40 over 17 days, including a $7,000 rental for a three-bedroom house in Lahaina. His wife accompanied him on several trips, including an April 2026 journey to Rio de Janeiro that cost $14,325.

In an email, Wapner stated that his travel was necessary to be effective in his position. He claimed the trips provided access to airline executives, concession operators, and federal officials. Loveridge noted that the spending met authority rules at the time. He added that commissioners were unaware of the frequency or cumulative cost because Wapner did not report back to the full board.

The airport board approved bylaw changes on September 24 to address the spending. The new rules cap monthly stipends at $1,000. Members are limited to one domestic conference per year and one international conference every other year, each requiring advance approval. The board also banned authority funding for spouses' travel.

On October 19, the board voted to create an internal auditing program that includes a full-time auditor. Wapner described the new rules as scapegoating. He argued that travel was a budget line item that other members could have questioned. The City Council removed Wapner from all committee appointments, including the airport board, following an FBI search of his home on July 28.