California IN BRIEF : IRVINE : Task Force Likes Norton AF Base

A decades-long search for a regional airport site to serve travelers in 2010 moved closer to fruition Saturday as Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino emerged as the favorite among participants in a citizens task force. Seeking to meet at least some of Orange County’s projected, unmet air travel demand of 14 million passengers per year, the Airport Site Coalition’s staff had recommended possible sites at March Air Force Base, South Camp Pendleton, Potrero Los Pinos, and Cristianitos Canyon. A final report is scheduled to go to the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Federal Aviation Administration next month. The report will include a proposal to create a public-private partnership to pursue development of at least one site.