JWA traffic slows in 2008

Traffic at John Wayne Airport has dropped significantly over the last six months, but Newport Beach’s airport consultant Richard Cox told city officials Monday that they shouldn’t let their guard down.

For the past few years John Wayne has continued to set records for the number of passengers who fly out of the airport annually. The airport hosted almost 10 million travelers last year, and many anti-expansion activists worried John Wayne would exceed its 10.8 million passenger limit, set in a settlement agreement with the city of Newport Beach and some local groups, before the expiration of the agreement.

But now the trend has shifted, and most agree the turnaround is part of a national trend of less air travel due to higher fuel costs and a floundering economy. John Wayne saw more than 100,000 fewer passengers this June than it did in June 2007, amounting to a steep 11.4% decrease in traffic.

Airport officials, city analysts and policy makers all agree the drop in passengers will not last forever, though.

“Fortunately in Orange County we have a strong economy and a strong market, and our history shows that we bounce back very quickly. There’s a lot of demand here and airlines have done very well here in the past,” airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

One of the highlights of Cox’s presentation to the committee was a Federal Aviation Administration study, called FACT 2, which lists John Wayne as an airport that could accommodate more passengers in 2015. However, the study is based on demand for flights and because that demand is decreasing, the FAA’s requests might be less pressing, Cox said.

“Newport Beach has the current settlement agreement, and as long as that’s in effect then they’re in very good shape,” Cox said.

Even if the FAA says John Wayne should increase flights, the final decision to add infrastructure or change the cap on passengers is in the hands of the airport, Wedge said. The national body cannot force John Wayne to increase its offerings.

John Wayne has no plans to increase passenger traffic and would refuse any FAA suggestion to extend the runway or add a second, according to Wedge.

Newport Beach Councilman Don Webb was not surprised to hear that traffic was declining, but he doesn’t see it as a lasting trend.

“Traffic is down because of fuel and it will probably stay down, but there will be a time it’ll start going up again and that’s the time we need to be vigilant to make sure we’re on top of all of the changes,” Webb said.

In light of Aloha Airlines no longer flying out of John Wayne and other airlines cutting flights, the airport is looking for carriers to fill the void.

Air Canada recently passed a noise test, proving to airport monitors that the airline could abide by John Wayne’s noise restrictions, and the carrier might start offering flights out of the airport soon.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.