Countywide : Jet America Cleared to Fly Out of John Wayne
Jet America, a Long Beach-based airline, on Thursday qualified its aircraft to fly out of John Wayne Airport by meeting the county’s noise standards in a series of five takeoffs, according to airline and county officials.
Jet America’s 147-passenger, DC-9 Super 80 did not fly quietly enough, however, to enable it to apply for bonus flights under the county’s new airport access plan.
Jet America, along with Continental Airlines and America West, will start operations April 1 at John Wayne.
The three airlines long had been on a waiting list to begin routes out of the county airport.
They were granted permission to join the six other airlines serving the airport as part of the recently approved airport expansion plan, which raised to 55 the daily flight limit.
Jet America spokesman Bob Payton said the airline will offer two round-trip flights a day between Orange County and Chicago, the first leaving John Wayne at 11:45 a.m. and the second at 6:15 p.m.
The 1,800-mile flight to Chicago will be the longest non-stop flight offered by any of the nine airlines at John Wayne.
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