Passenger Use of Airport Near Normal

The number of passengers and flights at John Wayne Airport inched ever closer to normal in the fifth month since the terrorist attacks, but remained about 3% lower than last year, according to a report released Friday.

Airport officials said they are encouraged by the small but steady strides that have been made since the Sept. 11 hijackings left many passengers nationwide afraid to fly. The number of passengers passing through the airport plunged by about one-third in September.

Like other small, regional airports, John Wayne is faring better than larger counterparts such as Los Angeles International, where increased security measures are more cumbersome and less appealing to passengers.