Local News in Brief : Ordinance Limiting Flights Struck Down

In a victory for a group of airlines, a federal judge on Friday struck down a Long Beach ordinance that limited the number of flights at the city’s Municipal Airport in an attempt to regulate aircraft noise. U.S. District Judge Laughlin Waters called the ordinance “arbitrary, unreasonable and discriminatory.”

John Lyons, an attorney for America West Airlines, which was among the 13 air carriers that sued the city, said the ruling could lead to an increased number of flights at the airport. “This is the big apple,” Lyons said.

At issue was an ordinance, passed by the City Council but never implemented, that set a limit of 32 commercial flights a day provided the total noise generated by the aircraft stayed within limits set by the city.