Orange County Supervisors unanimously approved an amendment that will allow John Wayne Airport to increase the number of passengers it can handle to as many as 12.5 million a year by 2026.
The John Wayne Airport Settlement Agreement amendment maintains JWA’s curfew—no takeoffs are allowed after 10 p.m. and no arrivals after 11 p.m.—through 2035.
JWA’s current allowance for passengers is 10.8 million annually. The amendment calls for an increase to 11.8 million in 2021, and between 12.2 million and 12.5 million after the year 2026.
JWA operates under a Settlement Agreement agreed to by the County of Orange, the City of Newport Beach, the Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport.
Yesterday’s vote approved the new amendment for 20 years.
Supervisors called the amendment “collaborative” and said it balances economic benefits, transportation needs and local concerns about noise and pollution.
