County : TWA Gets Top Priority for John Wayne Flights

Over the objections of Alaska Airlines, the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized its staff to begin negotiations that would let Trans World Airlines begin service from John Wayne Airport.

When Frontier Airlines filed for bankruptcy last year, the waiting list of airlines wanting to serve John Wayne had Southwest Airlines at the top, followed by Alaska Airlines and Trans World Airlines.

Southwest told airport officials it wanted more flights than the two average daily departures made available by the Frontier bankruptcy and gave up its top position on the waiting list.

Alaska Airlines acquired Jet America, which serves John Wayne, and county officials said one of the two could serve the airport, but not both as long as there was a waiting list.

George Juarez, representing Alaska Airlines, said that the supervisors’ action would cause a “serious and substantial injustice” to the airline. But the county’s special counsel for the airport, Michael Gatzke, said that making Alaska choose whether it or Jet America would serve John Wayne was consistent with past county actions.

Nine airlines now serve the airport, which has a limit on the number of daily flights allowed because of area residents’ objections to noise. Five airlines are on the waiting list to serve John Wayne if new flights become available, with United Airlines heading the list.