Airport Curbs Urged After John Wayne Lock Uproar

The chief executive of Martin Aviation has urged officials at John Wayne Airport to install television monitors at security gates and replace all locks, following reports that two of his employees gave out lock combinations.

In a letter sent Thursday, Martin’s Robert Volk said he told airport manager George Rebella that the county should scrap the push-button combination locks on all gates and install locks that are activated with magnetic or computerized cards. He also urged setting up closed-circuit TV monitors.

“To be frank, the combination locks are about as secure as a sieve,” Volk said. “The codes can be passed from friend to friend to friend, and suddenly dozens of people have access.”

Volk’s comments followed reports that two of his employees Wednesday gave out the combination to security gates for the area where private planes are parked. The area is less than 300 yards from the commercial terminal where passengers board airliners.

To Install New Doors

Since the incident, Volk said, his employees have been told not to give out access codes without identifying the person trying to get in. Also, Volk said that within two weeks, his company will install electronic doors that can be opened only with a card.

But Volk said he doubted whether access to the private-plane area constituted a threat to the commercial airline area. He said private pilots or charter passengers flying into John Wayne to connect with a commercial flight must pass through the main terminal, just as if they had driven to or had been dropped off at the airport.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched people come from our private planes and start to walk across the ramp to the terminal and get stopped--either by our employees or airport security,” Volk said.

Martin Aviation is the largest charter company operating at the Orange County facility, logging more than 15,000 flying hours a year.

Tightening Ordered

Private aviation operators, such as Martin, are already under orders from the county and the Federal Aviation Administration to tighten security at all airport offices leading to the tarmac. That order was issued last month, an FAA spokesman said.

Security at U.S. airports has drawn intense scrutiny since the Dec. 7 crash of a Pacific Southwest Airlines plane. The crash, killing all 43 people aboard, was apparently caused by a disgruntled former airline employee who smuggled a gun aboard the plane at Los Angeles International Airport.

As a result, the FAA ordered all airline employees Monday to submit to security checks.