Larger Airplanes Will Now Qualify Under Amended Agreement

Larger aircraft will qualify as commuters at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) under an amended settlement agreement approved this week by the Newport Beach City Council.

The agreement dates back to 1985. Two groups of residents ... the Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport ... came to terms with the city to regulate airport noise. That agreement has been amended several times over the years, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

The new amendment changes the definition of a commuter aircraft to one that can carry 76 passengers, rather than 70 under the original agreement.

City Manager Dave Kiff told the council that commuter airlines such as SkyWest are using more Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ 900 airplanes, which have up to 76 seats.

But the deal is not quite done. While the council passed the amendment May 23, and the Airport Working Group approved the new language earlier last month, the county and SPON still need to give their blessing to the amendment.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.newportbeachca.gov