Airport at El Toro

* Jennifer Wright’s May 23 letter concluding that we need an international airport at El Toro to remain competitive is rhetoric without facts.

Orange County has grown faster than Los Angeles County, which has one of the largest airports in the world.

During the last recession, more high-tech jobs per year were lost in Los Angeles County than in Orange County, clearly demonstrating that an airport is not part of the equation in retaining jobs.

With the Silicon Valley’s deep business ties to Asia, one figures San Jose’s airport would be a burgeoning Pacific Rim air center.

The truth is that after becoming international 15 years ago, it has only one flight to Tokyo and no air cargo service to Asia. Nevertheless, its booming economy is the nation’s top exporter.

The truth is that international flights require air travel treaties that are negotiated over the years, with threats of trade retaliation in the background.

Any airport courting a global presence had better be ready for a long wait. The deck is stacked in favor of big airports keeping and gaining overseas flights.

So global, not local, politics will largely set the international plan for an El Toro airport, which would face stiff competition from LAX anyway.

An airport at El Toro will benefit only Newport Beach, whose goal has always been and is the closure of John Wayne Airport.

NICHOLAS G. DZEPINA

Mission Viejo