John Wayne Airport reported a strong 6.9% increase in passengers served during the March quarter on a 7.9% increase in the number of air carrier flights compared to the same period in 2006.
The total number of flights overhead was little changed, up 0.2% as a result of a decrease in air taxi and general aviation operations.
The airport’s utilization is managed on a “plan year” basis. The 2006-07 plan year ended on March 31. For this most recent plan year, the airport served 9.76 million passengers. Under the settlement agreement between the county and the city of Newport Beach, the airport is allowed to serve 10.3 million.
In February 2006, airport management recommended, and the Board of Supervisors approved, a seat allocation amongst airlines intended to keep the service level below the 10.3 million cap. A request from Southwest Airlines to add an additional half-million seats was denied. At the time, the airport overestimated that it would serve approximately 10 million in 2006-07 without the additional Southwest flights.
The actual result,9.78 million,shows by hindsight that most, if not all, of the additional Southwest service for OC could have been accommodated, bringing the airport close to,but not up to,the 10.3 million negotiated passenger limit.
While forecasting is difficult, less cushion in the assumptions would benefit the flying public.
A request from SWA to provide additional service in the new 2007-08 plan year similarly was denied.
Leonard Kranser
Editor, El Toro Info Site
www.eltoroairport.org
