Community Corner

Agreement Could Extend JWA Curfew for 22 Years

Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry announced a proposed airport agreement that would protect the interests of residents through 2035.

Flight curfews at John Wayne Airport could be extended for another 22 years if an airport settlement agreement extension is approved, Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry announced Thursday.

Over the last 18 months, Newport Beach officials have worked with the Airport Working Group, Stop Polluting Our Newport and the County of Orange to draft a proposed airport settlement agreement to extend a 1985 settlement agreement which expires in 2015 and was created to curtail the airport's impacts on the neighboring communities.

Curry called the proposed agreement a  "balanced approach" that will follow the law, as well as protect the interests of the community. He said the announcement makes it "a great day in Newport Beach."

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The current noise-based curfew prohibits commercial flights from departing before 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and before 8 a.m. on Sunday. Arrivals are banned after 11 p.m. If approved, those curfews would stay in place until 2035.

"We can rest assured that our nighttime and early morning peace and quiet will remain undisturbed for another generation,” Curry said.

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The proposal would also maintain the annual passenger cap at 10.8 million and allow the loudest 85 commercial planes and four cargo flights to travel through JWA for another eight years through 2020.

Curry said in 2021 those numbers of passengers and flights may be increased, saying "growth is part of life at the airport."

The number of commercial planes allowed annually would increase to 95 flights, while passengers would increase to 11.8 million through 2025.

At Tuesday's Newport Beach City Council, council members will vote on approving a memorandum of understanding between the four parties to make way for the proposed agreement extension to be reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act.


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