READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: As the Newport Beach City Council takes steps to keep John

Wayne Airport’s flight restrictions in place, the Air Line Pilots Assn.

has suggested expanding the airport in lieu of opening one at the former

El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Call it perfect timing or coincidence, in light of the recent report

commissioned by the Federal Aviation Administration -- which was leaked

to El Toro Reuse Planning Authority and the press (“Pilots suggest John

Wayne expansion,” Aug. 12).

But Jon Russell, Western Pacific regional chairman of Air Line Pilots

Assn., suddenly pleads to the county to abandon plans for a commercial

airport at the former military base. Instead, he wants the county to look

to an acceptable expansion of John Wayne Airport, if a “suitable” safe

alternative for a proposed El Toro airport cannot be found.

It was three years ago that Russell designed and submitted to the

county an alternative runway plan for El Toro, which aimed jets directly

over tens of thousands of existing North and South County residents. To

date, this is the only alternative that the pilots’ association and

Russell will endorse.

What I find most interesting is that Russell’s concerns regarding the

as yet incomplete study of the runway plan fail to mention safety

conditions at John Wayne. This is most disturbing, considering that

Russell holds the volunteer, life-term position of regional safety

chairman and spokesman for the 56,000 pilots within his organization.

Surely Russell is aware that John Wayne ranks among the busiest in the

nation and also ranks among the most unsafe because it is a small

facility sharing both general aviation and commercial airline services.

On the contrary, Russell proposes expanding John Wayne, only to worsen

the unsafe conditions and effects at the facility.

The same suggestions of simply expanding John Wayne have been

previously echoed by the Irvine City Council -- which litigated against

the placement of the John Wayne Airport settlement agreement we have

today -- plus Irvine Mayor Christina Shea; many South County leaders; and

now the pilot association’s spokesman.

Coincidence or part of a greater master plan to deny Orange County the

opportunity, as I see it, to benefit from an international airport at El

Toro? I believe such an airport would bring in billions of dollars

annually to our economy, and greatly increase the safety of John Wayne

and all other neighboring airports by not burdening them with excessive

expansions?

El Toro is still in the planning process and the environmental study

has to be completed and certified before any conclusions are drawn.

Support for El Toro should not be questioned. It is the credibility of

the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority and its newest spokesperson, Jon

Russell, that should be questioned.

RUSSELL NEIWIAROWSKI

Santa Ana Heights

Many residents throughout the county are sympathetic to extending the

John Wayne curfews and to preventing expansion of the airport. (“Wanted:

help in keeping airport restrictions,” Aug. 10).

Proof of this is that South County leaders added tight restrictions

against expanding operations at John Wayne, along with restrictions on

building El Toro, in the language of Measure F, which voters approved in

March.

For a copy of Measure F, call (949) 768-4583 or log onto o7

https://www.eltoroairport.org/elections/initiative.htmlf7 .

Measure F passed by a landslide, winning in 31 of 33 cities -- with

only Costa Mesa (narrowly) and Newport Beach opposing the measure.

Newport Beach reacted by suing to overturn Measure F in court.

I believe this is a very bad tactic that will backfire on a city that

needs the goodwill of the rest of the county to achieve its important

objective. Extension of the caps on John Wayne will happen only if the

county -- both North and South areas -- is united behind Newport Beach’s

request to extend the restrictions until 2025.

It is unrealistic to expect an extension if there is a strong public

outcry against the move. Lobbying and litigation can block action. It is

beginning.

In recent days, I heard a radio station broadcast an editorial

statement, calling for ending the caps on John Wayne. On July 25, the Air

Line Pilots Assn., noting problems with the proposed airport for the

former El Toro military base, suggested to the county that John Wayne

expansion be considered.

Most importantly, there is a mounting chorus of Orange County citizens

criticizing Newport Beach leaders as “unfair” and “hypocritical.” City

officials should not be litigating to overturn Measure F -- which

protects everyone throughout the county -- while seeking to extend John

Wayne caps to protect only their own backyard. Tell the City Council to

ally with South County leaders to campaign for “no El Toro and no John

Wayne expansion.”

If Measure F is overturned in court, it will be a self-inflicted

disaster for Newport Beach. You will lose the protections that Measure F

now provides against the airport’s expansion.

South County will be forced to mount, and win, a new initiative to

prevent an El Toro airport. The next time, I doubt it would exclude any

restrictions for John Wayne.

LEONARD KRANSER

Editor, El Toro Airport Web site

Dana Point