Don’t worry about airport name change, pilgrim

Alicia Robinson

A suggestion from Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby to rename John

Wayne Airport after prime-time soap opera “The O.C.” is approaching

the runway but may not have the momentum to take off.

Norby floated the idea to his colleagues Tuesday, but supervisors

took no formal action on it. He said Wednesday that adding Orange

County to the airport’s name would be helpful to travelers, because

they generally identify airports by where they’re located. He did

advocate adding “John Wayne field” so the Duke could still be part of

the airport’s moniker.

“If people call it the Orange County airport or the O.C. airport,

that’s great too,” Norby said. “The show has raised the profile of

the term ‘O.C.’ but it ... has been around a long, long time.”

Other officials are keeping the idea at arm’s length. Supervisor

Jim Silva, who represents Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, said he’s

never seen the TV show, and he doubts many adults watch it, based on

what he’s heard about its content.

“I’m not too impressed with naming the airport after a program

about dysfunctional people, but if the county wanted to go through a

process [of studying it] I wouldn’t stand in the way,” he said.

The supervisors control the airport, which is owned by the county.

“My only perspective is that I can’t believe [Norby] was serious,”

said Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Bromberg, who as mayor

pushed for the city to take a larger role in management of the

airport. “He’s got a pretty dry sense of humor.”

Airlines already have made it fairly clear that John Wayne Airport

is in Orange County, Bromberg said, so a change to tell people where

they’re flying isn’t necessary.

Bromberg and Silva agreed that many people would balk at getting

rid of the name John Wayne, because he was a local hero and

high-profile figure.

“[People] like the airport being named John Wayne, and I think

there would be an outcry,” Silva said. “I’m not even sure if there’s

that much of an interest [on] the board.”