THE UNSEEN STRUGGLE
OVER JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT
In 2002, voters
rejected plans for a multi-billion dollar second county airport at El
Toro. Most expected existing airports like John Wayne to meet much of
their slowly growing demand for air travel.
The highly
visible campaign over El Toro airport ended, and a nearly unseen
struggle over John Wayne began.
The first
skirmish involved the 1985 agreement between the county and Newport
Beach that limits JWA’s use. With El Toro gone, Newport convinced
county supervisors to extend most of John Wayne’s restrictions before
they could expire. They agreed to allow a modest increase in passengers
while maintaining the noise curfews. The terminal would be expanded but
with a minimal number of aircraft boarding gates.
The airlines
objected to the low passenger cap and scarcity of gates. To win FAA
approval, local officials revised their agreement in 2003 and stepped
up the MAP (million annual passengers) cap to 10.8 million through
2015.
As a result, 2
million more passengers each year are using JWA - even before the
terminal expansion is built. The number of Orange County
travelers forced to drive to LAX for flights has decreased.
The 10.8 MAP cap
can be raised after 2015 only if the county completes lengthy
environmental studies. However, airport neighbors are trying to freeze
passenger service at this level forever.
Residents of
Newport Beach and Costa Mesa have adopted the zero-growth slogan “10.8
and lock the gate.” Their city councils hope to contain noise,
pollution and traffic impacting their residents by sending passengers
elsewhere.
Chairman of the
Board of Supervisors John Moorlach from Costa Mesa is championing
efforts for greater reliance on Palmdale and Ontario airports.
Zero-growth
advocates oppose any improved utilization of JWA regardless of
developments in newer, quieter aircraft or other future changes in
aviation - and without solutions in hand for meeting Orange County’s
future air travel demand.
In 2006, county
supervisors partially foreclosed on future developments by voting, 3-2,
to grant Newport Beach a permanent veto over lengthening JWA’s short
runway.
“10.8 and lock
the gate” proponents are aligned against those who would “scrap the MAP
cap” and let JWA serve as many passengers as the market demands and the
airport can handle. They support maximum commercial utilization of the
airport while retaining the nighttime curfew and other noise limits.
To scrap the MAP
cap should benefit the flying public and the businesses that rely on
air travel, but at the expense of those who live near the airport.
Unfortunately, there is no economically sound plan for meeting Southern
California’s future air travel needs unless existing airports like John
Wayne each pick up a small piece of any growth in demand.
A showdown is
not far off. Major construction starts this summer, adding a $1/2
billion 300,000 square foot third terminal at John Wayne. The addition
will be bigger than Burbank and Long Beach airports’ terminals
combined. The county won’t say how much the investment in terminal, 6
new passenger loading gates, new commuter aircraft docks and 2,500
additional parking spaces could increase airport capacity. The project
is labeled an “improvement” rather than an expansion.
By 2011 the
third terminal will be near completion. By then, efforts to restrict
its utilization will be in full swing.
Unlike the
decision on El Toro Airport, the future of John Wayne will not be
decided by a high visibility vote of the people but by largely unseen
negotiations involving local officials, lobbyists and lawyers.
Supervisors
should weigh the interests of the whole of Orange County in the
upcoming bargain with Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Much will be riding
on how well they represent all their constituents. The difficult
compromises that they make will affect both the lives of those living
near the airport and the travel needs of O.C. residents, businesses and
visitors. It’s an unavoidable conflict that merits much public
attention.
The above op-ed submission by Website Editor Len Kranser was published
in the Orange County Register, Orange Grove on June 11, 2008