Newport Beach council paves way for Hawaii flights

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- It didn’t take long.

During a 15-minute, closed-session meeting, the Newport Beach City

Council approved a five-year extension of an agreement that will allow

cargo flights to continue at John Wayne Airport.

The council last week unanimously approved the agreement, which had

been on the table since October.

“The Newport Beach City Council is committed to doing its part to help

serve the most pressing air transportation needs of the county . . .

until a real, long-term solution is found,” Newport Beach Mayor Gary

Adams said in a statement.

The Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport have joined

the city in approving the continued operation of the two daily

departures, which may only arrive or depart between 4 and 7:30 p.m. The

Board of Supervisors is set to consider the so-called “cargo stipulation”

at today’s 9:30 a.m. meeting.

In the staff report, Airport Director Alan Murphy has recommended

giving the two flights to a new commercial carrier to set up shop at John

Wayne.

The leading candidate for those flights is Aloha Airlines, which has

asked for daily flights to the islands of Maui and Oahu, as well as one

flight to Las Vegas. In June, the airline certified a modified Boeing 737

for use at John Wayne with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The cargo exception will expire one year after a proposed airport at

the former El Toro Marine base becomes operational. The county has said

it would try to shift the cargo flights to El Toro if possible.