JAN MITTERMEIER / Director, John Wayne Airport

In 1974, Janice M. Mittermeier took at job with Orange County as an accountant. Now in her fourth year as director of John Wayne Airport, Mittermeier, 54, has been instrumental in bringing city and county officials together with neighborhood groups to help the airport grow to meet the expanding needs of Orange County. She recently spoke with Times correspondent Debora Vrana about issues ranging from future airport expansion and privatization to what it’s like to be one of the few women airport directors in the nation.

Did the recent fires have any effect on John Wayne Airport?

The flights out of here have not been affected. We were watching it very closely when it was at the Turtle Rock area. We were getting a lot of ash and embers, and our carriers were on alert to fly out of here if they needed to. We’ve also had a lot of fueling for helicopters and other aircraft that were used in fighting the fire.

You were instrumental in the expansion of John Wayne. Are we going to see more expansion here?

As a result of our 1985 settlement agreement with the city and the county and other groups, we were allowed to expand. It allowed the airport to expand the existing terminal from a 30,000-square-foot building to a 339,000-square-foot building. It allowed us to double the passenger traffic and develop a modern airport. The airport itself only has 504 acres, and part of that is clear zone, so we only have about 400 acres that’s actual airfield, and that’s quite small. We have a runway that’s only 5,700 feet long, so that limits the size of the aircraft you can use here.

So as far as expansion, we could accommodate more than the 8.4 million passengers (a year) we’re allowed under the settlement agreement, but probably not a lot more. Maybe 2 million to 4 million more max, and that would depend on the size aircraft the carriers were flying. So the expansion is rather limited.

Could Orange County support another commercial airport?

Well, it really depends on the character of the demand. The fact that we already have a commercial airport makes that answer complicated. If you didn’t have an airport or the county were big enough so you could put another airport 45 miles away, the answer would be simple. But without characterization of that demand as to type and the kind and where it comes from and what it means, no one can answer that question because a lot depends on how much money the air carriers demand and whether it makes sense. So that question is not answerable without some very sophisticated studies.

What are some of your goals?

Well, I would like to sit down with the city of Newport Beach and talk about a potential renegotiation of our settlement agreement that would accomplish two purposes. One, it would give residents south of the airport comfort for a longer period of time that the amount of noise they would be subjected to would be capped, and it would also allow the county to realize the maximum capabilities of this airport. We’ve had preliminary discussions with the city of Newport Beach, and I think they share the same goals, so at some point we’ll be sitting down with them.

What are some of the issues that come up as you try to expand from 8.4 million passengers to 12 million?

Well, obviously, the people in Newport are not going to like the idea of more aircraft flying. That’s tough, because the more airplanes you fly the more noise you’re subjected to, so that’s going to be a tough issue to resolve. But on the other hand there is demand for air travel out of there. So the issue is how you satisfy that demand with the least impact on the community.

There’s been a lot of discussion about privatizing airports. England seems to have done so very successfully. Why not privatize John Wayne at some point?

Currently, federal law prohibits that. That’s why Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has not been successful in his attempts to privatize LAX. And so far Congress is very much opposed to any type of revenue diversion from airports. And there are several reasons for that. The air carriers in this country are deregulated and they are in direct competition with each other, which means they have to keep their costs down. The air carriers in other countries are either protected through legislation or in some cases directly subsidized, so their revenues and costs are easier to predict and control. So I think when you try to compare privatization with an airport here and an airport in Europe, we’re comparing apples and oranges because of the extremely competitive nature of our carriers. I’m not saying we should or shouldn’t privatize, but airports are capital-intensive businesses. If a private entrepreneur wanted to get that rate of return, you could see landing fees increase. It’s not impossible if the federal laws were changed, but it’s something that would be tough to make a lot of money at.

You are one of the few women airport directors in the country. What’s that like?

I think originally, before people got used to the idea, it was a surprise to them because I would walk in a room and be the only woman. But they got used to it very quickly. I have established a very good rapport with the FAA, the air carriers and the pilots association and the community.

I just did what I always do. I never lie to people. I just tell them the truth. If you lie to people and they catch you at it, they never trust you again. I just tell people the truth. Sometimes they don’t want to hear it, but you learn, and that’s how you can trust each other.

People have said that when Orange County got its airport it really came of age. Is that true?

I think so. It used to be that Orange County was a poor cousin of L.A., but now people say Orange County without having first said Los Angeles County. And I think we have a lot of important businesses here that reflect that. A lot of what this county is and has become is a direct result of the businesses that have been attracted here because of the airport.

On airport accidents. .

“We’ve never had a major accident. In the early 1980s a jet slid off the runway, but no one was injured. That’s the only accident we’ve ever had. We are prepared for such events.”

On the airport’s role in business retention...

“We do quite a lot of outreach. In fact, we have a program where we work with visitors bureaus and cities to help them develop visitors guides. We’re about to start a marketing campaign to develop ways to promote the airport.”

On the airport’s bond debt...

“We have about $250 million in outstanding debt. This airport is certainly capable of paying that back, but it’s a lot of debt to carry. “

On passenger facilities fees...

“We have no intention of levying such charges on carriers, especially in this competitive climate. Those fees are used for the type of infrastructure we have already completed.”