Proposal would allow more passengers at JWA

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- Under a preliminary agreement released Friday,

passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport could increase more than 24%

after 2005.

The possible jump in annual passengers, from 7.9 million annually

today to about 9.8 million, is one aspect of Newport Beach’s proposal to

raise one of two flight caps at the airport.

In exchange for agreeing to increasing the airport’s passenger cap,

city officials want long-term extensions of the airport’s other flight

restrictions.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider the deal for the

first time at its meeting Tuesday. Supervisors won’t grant final

approval, only begin an extensive environmental review of the deal.

“It’s time to open the environmental review process,” Supervisor Chuck

Smith said Friday. “We need to start working on it at this point in

time.”

In its proposal, the city also proposes adding four flight gates to

the current 14, combining two noise classes and extending the nighttime

flight curfew until Jan. 1, 2026.

Once the gates are built, the county could add 12 additional

departures per day, increase restrictions on seat capacity and limit

cargo flights to two per day. Those provisions would end Jan. 1, 2016.

Restrictions imposed in 1985 on general aviation flights -- including

private aircraft, cargo and other operations outside of the 11 commercial

airlines -- would expire Jan. 1, 2021.

The county, city and two airport activist committees -- the Airport

Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport -- must approve any

extension to the 1985 settlement agreement that is set to expire in 2005.

Newport Beach Councilman Gary Proctor, who sits with Councilwoman

Norma Glover on the council’s ad hoc airport committee, could not be

reached for comment. Glover was traveling in New York and also could not

be reached.

The restrictions imposed in 1985 limit the number of annual passengers

to 8.4 million and allow no more than 73 daily departures. Per the

airport’s mandatory nighttime curfew, departures are allowed from 7 a.m.

to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Arrivals are allowed from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and

8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

The curfew was incorporated into the county’s municipal code but could

be overturned with a successful legal challenge.

The proposed increase to 9.8 million passengers at the airport is a

16.67% jump from the current limit, but 24.05% from today’s level.

Staff members from the city and county have been in talks since

December fleshing out the proposed extension of the 1985 consent decree.

Smith said he is pleased with the direction of the talks.

“From where I sit, I’m worried about protecting Newport Beach,” Smith

said. “But I’ve got to make sure we can meet Orange County’s passenger

and cargo demands in the future.”