June CasagrandeA new temporary passenger terminal with...

June Casagrande

A new temporary passenger terminal with three gates opened this

morning at John Wayne Airport. The new terminal is the first phase of

an expansion that will eventually include 20 new gates.

Gates 14A, 14B and 14C will relieve congestion at the existing

gate 14 by handling shorter commuter flights to Salt Lake City,

Phoenix, San Jose, San Francisco and other nearby destinations.

The new, $567,000 terminal at the north end of the existing

terminal will serve Delta Airlines, American Eagle and Alaska

Airlines. The temporary structure is a 3,600-square-foot modular

building that will be removed in three to five years when permanent

expanded facilities are in place.

A second temporary terminal will open at the south end of the

existing building this fall.

“The goal was to have this commuter terminal in operation in time

for the busiest part of the summer travel season and to open the

second commuter terminal before Thanksgiving,” airport spokesman said

Justin McCusker said.

Baggage screening stations are also being expanded: with four more

screening lanes being added, two at either end of the airport.

At the same time, a $6-million, 15,000-square-foot airfield rescue

and firefighting facility is under construction to replace the aging

and obsolete Fire Station 33 now at the airport.

The expansion is the result of recent revisions to the John Wayne

Settlement Agreement that allows expansion in exchange for flight

caps through 2015. Under the revised agreement, the airport can add

six new gates for a total of 20. Passenger caps at the airport were

raised from 8.4 million a year to 10.8 million by 2010.

Members of the media toured the new terminal this week before its

official opening, after which the building will be off limits except

to ticketed passengers.

“From a business perspective it’s good news,” said Richard Luehrs,

president of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce. “On the one hand

we appreciate the fact that there are additional flights and

additional terminals to accommodate the passengers of those flights.

On the other hand, the chamber has always supported limits on flights

and we’re very interested in making sure that noise levels are

maintained.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.