Airport Plan OKd by O.C., Newport

Attempting to balance community concerns over noise with federal law, the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday adopted a plan to add six gates and increase the passenger cap at John Wayne Airport to 10.8 million people a year by 2011.

If approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the agreement will modify and extend a landmark court settlement reached in 1985 that established noise limits, restricted the hours of airport operation and limited passenger volume to 8.4 million a year. The settlement, which ended a lawsuit over airport noise brought by Newport Beach and community groups, expires in 2005.

The revisions approved Tuesday would extend the settlement’s terms until 2015 and increase the number of gates from 14 to 20. The maximum number of commercial flights would be raised from 73 to 85 per day.

The proposed changes to the settlement must be approved by the FAA, which enforces the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990. The law prohibits local government from restricting airport activity and would go into effect if the court settlement expires in 2005.

Newport Beach, the county and airlines that operate at John Wayne Airport have asked the FAA to determine if the proposed passenger cap and gate additions comply with the federal law. FAA officials say they will release their opinion in a few weeks.