JWA expansion plans lift off

Paul Clinton

County supervisors Tuesday sent airport managers to the negotiating

table with five firms to hammer out contracts, so the firms can begin

planning the airport’s expansion.

Supervisors, at their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting,

unanimously approved Airport Director Alan Murphy’s recommendation to

split the work between the five. Murphy must return with signed

contracts, spelling out compensation and workloads for each, before

planning work can begin.

The approval, with Newport-Mesa’s representative Jim Silva absent,

marks the beginning of a multi-year process by the airport to step up

flight capacity by adding six gates to the existing 14 at the Thomas F. Riley terminal.

“The six gates are what is needed to increase our passenger

capacity,” spokeswoman Ann McCarley said. “This is the next step in

implementing the agreement between Newport Beach, the county and the

two community groups.”

Supervisors in December granted the airport an expansion of a June

25 approval of four additional gates and other increases in flight

levels.

The initial approval ended a yearlong effort by Newport Beach

leaders to extend the 1982 settlement extension, which first imposed

restrictions on the airport. Newport Beach and two community groups,

including the Airport Working Group, have sanctioned the plan.

“I think that’s along the lines with the settlement agreement that

we have signed off on,” said Tom Naughton, the group’s president.

“That has been expected.”

While 7.9-million passengers used the airport during 2002,

increases are expected. Prior to June, the airport could not have

grown beyond its cap of 8.4-million per year.

The airport could grow to as many as 10.3-million passengers until

2011, when capacity could again be ramped up again, to 10.8-million

annual travelers.

Airport leaders say they’ll develop a master plan for the project,

which isn’t expected to begin construction until 2005, McCarley said.

The airport would build a satellite terminal adjacent to the exiting

terminal.

Murphy is now headed to the table to work out final contracts with

DMJM Aviation, Landrum & Brown, BonTerra Consulting Inc., Mestre

Greve Associates and Austin-Foust Associates.