John Wayne Airport is touting its economic impact on the region, saying Orange County’s main air hub was responsible for $5.7 billion in activity last year.
A recent economic impact study conducted by the airport, which included passenger transits, cargo transfers, revenue data, trip counts and average fares, notes the facility was responsible for 32,000 jobs in 2022, generating $1.4 billion in labor income.
Last year, the airport served a record 11.4 million passengers, including more than 314,000 international travelers, across 304,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings.
That’s well up from around 7.7 million passengers in 2021, when the pandemic limited air travel, and compares to pre-pandemic levels of 10.7 million passengers in 2019.
“Aviation is essential to the connection and strength of our local economy, reaching far beyond the airfield, supporting over 45,000 jobs [total], and stimulating revenue through capital expenditures and traveler spending,” Airport Director Charlene Reynolds said in a statement.
Reynolds took on the role of director in May 2022 and set her sights on making improvements, kicking off a series of airport-wide upgrades.
A $700 million formal capital improvement plan for the airport was approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in June and includes over 30 projects. It’s expected to start later this year and last for seven years.
John Wayne’s construction budget for 2022 was $35.5 million; its budget has already exceeded $60 million this year.
More Spending
John Wayne Airport recorded an estimated $2.1 billion in direct visitor spending for 2022 from its annual passenger count, factoring in lodging, food and beverage and entertainment sectors.
The airport is in the middle of redeveloping its concessions program and dining options along with its major facilities. One of its most recent openings include Vietnamese restaurant Brodard Express in October.
The report said the capital improvement program would total $405 million from 2024 to 2026, out of the proposed $700 million for the next several years, with top updates including parking structure repairs and rental car configuration.
“JWA seeks to maintain a competitive air service market through capacity investment, improved facility management and active marketing for new services,” the report said.
Aircraft Operations
JWA’s current passenger cap is 11.8 million, which can’t be raised until 2026 and mostly applies to commercial operators at the airport such as Southwest Airlines and American Airlines.
In February, Breeze Airways debuted at the airport and added five new nonstop destinations at the airport.
There are currently 45 nonstop flights available at John Wayne Airport. The airport’s largest sector is general aviation, which includes the charter operators and private jet business, making up 60% of its operations.
The final stages of a general aviation facility improvement plan, approved in 2019 before Reynolds joined John Wayne, are finishing up at the sites of the airport’s three fixed-base operators (FBOs): ACI Jet, Clay Lacy Aviation and Jay’s Aircraft Maintenance.
FBOs provide full-service fueling operations, aircraft repair and maintenance services, charter operations and aircraft wash facilities. They also manage hangar and tie-down facilities and transient aircraft parking.
Van Nuys-based Clay Lacy is set to break ground on a new facility soon.
Actual spending at John Wayne for this year and last year was around $12.5 million each, according to the report.
