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Long Beach flights rattle West Costa Mesa

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Lolita Harper

Residents of the Westside and Mesa Verde who believed they were

outside of any airport flight paths have suddenly found themselves

looking up at commercial jets -- but John Wayne Airport isn’t to

blame.

The planes that have been rumbling over their heads are not

departing from John Wayne but on their way to Long Beach Airport,

officials say.

Sharon Diggs-Jackson, the public affairs officer for Long Beach

Airport, confirmed that fewer than 10 flights have routes over Costa

Mesa, resulting from an increasing number of flights at the

transportation hub.

Jet Blue and American Airlines flights arriving from the east

travel over the Westside and Mesa Verde, she said.

“It’s not like these planes are flying low,” Diggs-Jackson said.

“They are coming through that area at about 4,000 feet.”

Westside resident Don Elmore approached the City Council on Monday

with a map that outlined the flight path for departing John Wayne

Airport flights and a path that he has observed major aircrafts

using.

Elmore is no expert, he said, as he explained that it looks like

the planes are flying west along Victoria Avenue. Councilman Chris

Steel said he saw the same thing while visiting a constituent on

Canary Street in Mesa Verde.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan, too, said she has seen an increase in

resident complaints about airplane noise from the added commercial

flights at Long Beach Airport.

A federal court decision resulting from a 12-year lawsuit over a

noise ordinance allows Long Beach to operate 41 daily commercial

flights, Diggs-Jackson said.

Flights have jumped from 12 to an anticipated 24 for next month

and will climb to a peak of 41 by October, she said.

Compared with other regional airports, the number of flights are

small, she said.

“We are not talking huge numbers here,” Diggs-Sharon said.

John Wayne Airport spokeswoman Ann McCarly said departures fly

south over the Back Bay, Santa Ana Heights and Balboa Island.

Planes leaving from John Wayne do not turn until after they reach

the shoreline and would not cross the west or northwest portions of

Costa Mesa, McCarly said.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.

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