John Wayne Airport to Get 18 More Flights a Day

When an expanded John Wayne Airport opens in April, 10 airlines, including one new carrier, will divide 18 extra daily flights under a plan approved Tuesday by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The board rejected a request for a delay by two air cargo carriers that are seeking access to John Wayne Airport. But supervisors left the door open for compromise. Federal Express had at one time threatened to sue to gain access, but sounded more conciliatory Tuesday, as did United Parcel Service.

Under the flight allocation plan approved Tuesday, American Airlines would retain its dominance at John Wayne Airport, and Midway Airline--a champion of bargain fares--would be the newest passenger carrier. No other passenger airlines are seeking first-time access to John Wayne.

American Airlines will be allowed to increase the number of its noise-regulated flights from 19 to 21. USAir, with two new departures, will remain second with 11 daily, noise-limited flights.

Alaska, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, TWA, United and USAir will receive from one to three additional flights in noisier jets.

The noisier jets are generally more profitable because they can go farther without refueling and hold more passengers.

Chicago-based Midway Airline is still studying its allocation of two flights per day to see if so few flights would be profitable to operate, airport officials said.

The allocation plan goes into effect when the airport’s new, $50-million passenger terminal opens April 1.

The additional flights raise the number permitted for noise-regulated aircraft from 55 to 73. The actual number of flights is expected to increase from the current 93 a day to 140 or more because some flights are quiet enough to escape airport noise regulations. But under terms of a 1985 settlement with the city of Newport Beach and airport expansion opponents, the new airport terminal cannot handle more than 8.4 million passengers a year, up from the current 4.75 million.

Federal Express delivered a conciliatory letter to airport officials, who met last week with top executives of the air cargo carrier in Memphis.

The letter, released by airport officials after Tuesday’s board meeting, disclosed that airport officials last month and again last week tentatively offered Federal Express one flight a day if environmental concerns and the problem of terminal space can be overcome.

“Federal Express will accept the allocation of one (flight),” the Nov. 10 letter stated. “Federal Express does not believe that our proposed operation at JWA will have any significant environmental effect. Nevertheless, Federal Express is prepared to assist the county in the preparation of the level of environmental documentation that it deems appropriate.”

The company suggested that it could use a facility near the airport, which lacks enough space for cargo service.

Airport officials said Tuesday that further negotiations and environmental impact reports will be necessary before the Board of Supervisors would even be asked to consider allowing Federal Express to commence service.

Air cargo operations have been banned at John Wayne as a matter of county policy, which gives preference to passenger carriers. Furthermore, the current $310-million airport expansion project is based on environmental studies that did not anticipate cargo service. Airport officials have objected to air carrier operations because of the lack of space available for cargo-handling facilities.

Ray Ikola, attorney for Federal Express, told supervisors that “existing law prohibits discrimination between cargo and passenger air carriers.” Still, the board rejected the cargo carrier’s request for a delay in allocating two of the 18 new daily departures.

Air cargo executives and a Santa Ana businessman testified that many Orange County firms are at a competitive disadvantage because of the lack of local air cargo flights, but the supervisors agreed with airport manager George Rebella that allocations could be amended later if the cargo issue is settled.

Awarding of the additional flights Tuesday prompted complaints from about half a dozen Newport Beach residents who testified that an increase--whether of air cargo planes or passenger jets--would only spell more misery for homeowners living under the flight path.

Any increase will only worsen the “physical damage and the psychic damage” for “those of us who live under the departure track,” said Beth Cooper of Newport Beach.

Board Chairman Thomas F. Riley reminded Cooper, an airport activist, that he too lives under the flight path, in Dover Shores.

“My dog doesn’t like it much, and I don’t like it,” Riley said.

Even as the Newport Beach residents failed in their eleventh-hour bid to stop any new flights, airport officials disclosed that TWA’s increase may be delayed because the average noise level of its jets exceeded airport limits during the last quarter.

Rebella, the airport manager, said that TWA’s recent violations of the airport noise limits are still under investigation, with no cause readily apparent.

“It may have been the weather, or some other unusual conditions,” he said. “We’re still analyzing it.”

Rebella said TWA is the first airline to exceed the noise limits. Airline noise performance is calculated by quarterly averages, based on data from noise-monitoring equipment stationed at various points in and near the takeoff pattern in Santa Ana Heights and Newport Beach.

Rebella said three or four other airlines also came close to exceeding the noise standards, which is “very unusual.”