The airport debate -- To cap or not to cap?

As residents of Eastside Costa Mesa, we strongly urge continuation of

passenger caps, noise restrictions and restricted flight hours at John

Wayne Airport.

VIRGINIA C. HANLEY

and JON M. HANLEY

Costa Mesa

What can be done to extend flight caps at John Wayne Airport?

I do not think caps can be extended. I do not think a municipality can

regulate interstate commerce.

Further, market demand for flights will continue to increase. There is

no incentive whatsoever for airlines to extend caps at John Wayne

Airport.

If it weren’t for the 1985 settlement agreement, the airport would be

at 15 million air passengers a year (The levels are now capped at 8.4

million.)

I believe John Wayne will be at 15 million in a couple years, after

the settlement agreement expires in 2005.

Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and other communities in the flight path

will continue to shoulder the burden of the air transportation situation.

But even when John Wayne goes to 15 million passengers, Orange County

still will not meet its share of air transportation demand, as will be

borne out in a soon-to-be-released Southern California Assn. of

Governments report.

The figure is more like a demand for Orange County of 34 million air

passengers. That is why El Toro must utilized for its intended purpose: a

second airport that will be deeded to the citizens of Orange County for

free.

Otherwise, taxpayers will spend billions of dollars condemning 700

acres of homes and businesses around John Wayne to reach the 34-million

passenger airport, an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money that would

unfairly and unnecessarily destroy people’s lives and livelihoods.

ANN WATT

Santa Ana Heights

I don’t want John Wayne Airport to grow any more. And I prefer to have

an airport at El Toro, where it is now said that flights will be safe.

In Newport Beach, the planes fly over about eight times as many

schools. I’m angry about John Wayne.

PATRICIA DALE

Newport Beach

To extend flight caps at John Wayne Airport, it will be necessary to

convince Congress, the Interstate Commerce Commission and airlines that

Orange County’s travel needs through 2025 can and should be provided by

the other regional airports.

JOSEPH STASCH

Newport Beach

Shirley Conger’s perceptive analysis about the futility of trying to

cap flights at John Wayne Airport applies equally well to El Toro and

Irvine, (“Smith’s views harmful to Newport,” Nov. 4).

Irvine has no more power over a future El Toro airport than Newport

Beach has over John Wayne. Indeed, Irvine has less power. It has no cause

of action. The flights do not pass over the city.

Irvine can try to put a cap on flights at El Toro, but there can be no

resistance to demand for skyrocketing air passenger traffic. Any cap

would be overruled because it would interfere with interstate commerce.

In fact, current commercial, state and federal projections for Orange

County require full use of El Toro, and there is no way El Toro’s five

runways could be squeezed into John Wayne.

DONALD NYRE

Newport Beach