JWA gets OK on 2 million more passengers a year

The Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday gave John Wayne Airport Director Alan Murphy permission to allow air carriers to book about 12 million passenger seats total over the next year beginning in April.

Under the terms of a settlement agreement, John Wayne Airport can allow only 10.3 million passengers a year through its gates, but the number of passenger seats allowed is calculated differently.

Although the board agreed to give Murphy the power to give the airlines up to 12.9 million seats, the carriers typically use about 95% of that number due to factors such as passenger cancellations and missed flights, according to county documents. The supervisors also authorized Murphy on Tuesday to withdraw some of the seats if passenger levels threatened to bubble over 10.3 million.

“What we just need to do is eventually close the airport,” said Newport Beach resident Charles Griffin, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of the anti-airport expansion group AirFair.

Murphy said the seats would benefit local travelers. The air carriers at John Wayne initially requested 13.5 million seats, according to county documents.

“We feel this is needed by the traveling public in Orange County,” Murphy said.

— Brianna Bailey