New Airport Rules Planned to Cut Noisy Night Takeoffs

The San Diego Board of Port Commissioners on Tuesday ordered that new regulations be drafted to restrict late-night takeoffs of noisy jet airliners from Lindbergh Field.

The action by the board, in formally approving a request unveiled last week by Chairman Dan Larsen, means the airlines will be under more pressure to either reschedule flights before 10 p.m. or use the quieter, new generation of jets such as the MD-80 and Boeing 737-300.

Takeoffs at the airport are already under an 11:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. curfew. What the Port District is concerned about is that since January, several airlines have added new flights that leave after 10 p.m.

Part of the reason for the change is due to airline deregulation and the availability and stable price of fuel.

Although most of the airlines say they plan to change their departure schedules closer to 10 p.m. or phase in the quieter jets over a period of time, Larsen says that’s not enough and the Port District must move now to stop other airlines from also increasing their late-night flights.

While jet noise at Lindbergh has long rattled residents living under the flight path in Point Loma, leading to several lawsuits, the Port District is also concerned because, under a noise variance issued by the state, it is penalized if the older, noisier type of jets take off late at night.

For example, the Port District is penalized 10 times more each time a noisy jet, such as a 727, takes off after 10 p.m. In other words, the same jet could depart 10 times during the day and receive the same noise penalty as it does with one takeoff after 10 p.m.

The board of commissioners made it clear it will not enact any changes to its regulations until after it has received comments about the proposed changes from the airlines and the public.

It was also clear that the Port District will again have to weigh several competing factors in making its decision.

“We have to strike a balance between the growth and prosperity of this dynamic city and the peace and tranquility of the people who live near the airport,” said Commissioner Louis Wolfsheimer.

Don Nay, executive director of the Port District, said his staff will prepare the draft regulations within the next week or so and then circulate them. A hearing on the regulations was tentatively set for sometime in May.