John Wayne Airport | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Orange County | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | |||||||||||||||
| Location | 18601 Airport Way Santa Ana,California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1923; 103 years ago (1923) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 56 ft / 17 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°40′32″N117°52′06″W / 33.67556°N 117.86833°W /33.67556; -117.86833 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
.jpg) FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
  John Wayne Airport  John Wayne Airport  John Wayne Airport | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of John Wayne Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1][2][3] | |||||||||||||||
John Wayne Airport (IATA:SNA[4],ICAO:KSNA,FAALID:SNA)[5] is an international commercial and general aviationairport that servesOrange County andGreater Los Angeles, in the U.S. state ofCalifornia. The airport is located in anunincorporated area of Orange County,[6] and it is owned and operated byOrange County. John Wayne Airport is surrounded by the cities ofIrvine,Newport Beach, andCosta Mesa; however, itsIATA airport code is registered toSanta Ana, thecounty seat. Originally namedOrange County Airport, theOrange County Board of Supervisors renamed the airport in 1979 in honor of actorJohn Wayne, who lived in neighboring Newport Beach and died that year. A statue of John Wayne was installed at the airline terminal in 1982.[7]
John Wayne Airport is the sole commercial airport in Orange County. TheNational Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2023–2027categorized it as aprimary commercial service airport since it has over 10,000 passenger boardings per year.[8]Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 5,370,273 enplanements incalendar year 2024, an decrease from 5,706,332 in 2023.[9] In 2024, John Wayne Airport was the second busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area by passenger count with over 10 million total passengers.[10] As of 2023[update], the largest airlines at John Wayne Airport wereSouthwest Airlines,American Airlines,United Airlines,Delta Air Lines, andAlaska Airlines.[11]
In addition to the airline terminal, several facilities at the airport serve the general aviation and corporate aviation community. General aviation operations outnumber commercial operations. The only other general aviation airport in Orange County isFullerton Municipal Airport.
John Wayne Airport has tworunways. The main runway, 2L/20R, at 5,700 feet (1,700 m) in length, is the shortest runway in the United States that handles regularly scheduled international flights, and passenger jetliners operating fromthe airport have never been larger than theBoeing 757 (although some larger cargo aircraft fly from SNA, such as the widebodyAirbus A300 operated byFedEx).[citation needed] Runway 2R/20L is 2,887 feet (880 m) long and serves general aviation aircraft. Nowidebody passenger jetliners have ever been operated into SNA in scheduled airline service.
The first airstrip in the area was constructed in 1923, when Eddie Martin signed a five-year lease with James Irvine to operate a flying school on land that used to be part ofRancho Santiago de Santa Ana andRancho San Joaquin, which were owned by theIrvine Company.[12] It was purchased through a land swap by the County of Orange in 1939 and remains under the county's ownership and management.
Martin added the first hangar to his airfield in 1926.[12] In 1935 Howard Hughes staged his world speed record-setting flight from the Eddie Martin Airport. At some point between 1940 and 1941, the new Orange County Airport was established on land adjacent to Martin Field, to the south. Martin Field closed shortly thereafter.[12]
The facility was used as part of theSanta Ana Army Air Base during World War II, after which it was returned by the federal government to the county with the stipulation that it remain open to all kinds of aviation uses.
In addition to continuing to serve aviation, the field became an important drag racing center. From 1950 to 1959, C.J. "Pappy" Hart[13] and Creighton Hunter operated theSanta Ana Drag Strip, credited for being the world's first commercial drag strip,[14] on the airport runway every Sunday, when it was closed to air traffic.
The original single runway was 4,800 feet (1,500 m) long, on a magnetic heading of 210 degrees (Runway 21) and 30 degrees (Runway 3). In 1964 the airport was rebuilt, with its present two parallel runway configuration, oriented 190/10 degrees magnetic. The longer runway, 19R (now 20R), at 5,701 feet (1,738 m), is only 901 feet (275 m) longer than the old Runway 21 but long enough to accommodate jet airliners. A fullinstrument landing system (ILS) was also installed.
In the 1950s, the only airline flights wereBonanza's few flights between Los Angeles andPhoenix, viaSan Diego. In 1963 Bonanza started nonstopF27s to Phoenix, and toLas Vegas in 1965; in 1967Air California startedElectra nonstops to San Francisco, 48 flights a week each way. The first scheduled jet flights were BonanzaDC-9s later in 1967. From 1967 through 1980, Air California (later renamed AirCal) and Bonanza and its successors, Air West andHughes Airwest, had a duopoly at the airport, until the FAA ruled this illegal.[15]
In 1967, the 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) Eddie Martin Terminal, designed byWilliam L. Pereira & Associates, was built to accommodate 400,000 annual passengers. Remodeling added two passenger holding areas in 1974, a new baggage claim area in 1980 and a terminal annex building in 1982, bringing the facility to 29,000 square feet (2,700 m2).
Nonstop flights reachedSalt Lake City in 1976–77 (HughesDC-9s),Denver in 1982 (FrontierMD-80s),Dallas/Fort Worth in 1983 (American MD-80s),Chicago–O'Hare in 1986 (AirCal737-300s), andNew York–Kennedy in 1991 (America West757-200s).
After the Orange County Airport was renamed John Wayne Airport on June 20, 1979,[16] the John Wayne Associates commissioned sculptor Robert Summers to create a bronze statue of "the Duke". The 9-foot (2.7 m) statue, created at Hoka Hey Foundry in Dublin, Texas, was dedicated to the County on November 4, 1982. Today, the bronze statue is in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal on the Arrival Level.
In 1990, the Thomas F. Riley Terminal opened. The aging 29,000-square-foot (2,700 m2) Eddie Martin Terminal was replaced with a modern 337,900-square-foot (31,390 m2) facility. The new facility included 14 loading bridges, four baggage carousels, wide-open spaces and distinct roadside arrival and departure levels. In 1994, the then-unused Eddie Martin Terminal was demolished.In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new, larger airport was proposed for the nearby site of the then recently closedEl Toro Marine Corps Air Station. However, after a series of political battles, combined with significant opposition from residents in the vicinity of El Toro, the proposal was defeated, and no new airport was built.
In 2011, additional terminal space was added and existing terminals were refreshed as part of a $543 million expansion project.[17] A new Terminal C with six additional gates was built along with dedicated commuter gate areas in the new Terminal C and new commuter facilities in Terminal A. A new parking lot C was added along with additional support facilities such as a Central Utility plant.
In June 2020, following themurder of George Floyd, the change of the airport's name back to Orange County Airport was demanded by activists, due to comments the actor had made in support ofwhite supremacy in a 1971Playboy interview.[18]
In September 2020, Orange County officials announced they planned to end all of carrierJSX operations at the airport on January 1, 2021, stating it is "no longer welcomed" [sic].[19][20] Following the announcement, the airline sought support from its customers, encouraging them to contact the Orange County officials and demand that the airline is allowed to continue operations at John Wayne.[20] In December 2020, the airline filed a lawsuit stating that the airport has "refused to offer any accommodations" to JSX and "discriminatorily chose" to terminate the airline's operations at John Wayne "in favor of two large airlines [Spirit and Allegiant Airlines]," of which the former already operates the same flights as JSX toLas Vegas,Reno, andOakland.[21] Shortly after, the airline won atemporary restraining order that prevented the airport authorities from terminating the airline's operations, with which an airport spokeswoman stated the airport would comply.[22]
There are 22 gates in total. The main passenger terminal, theThomas F. Riley Terminal, is named for the late county supervisor who lobbied for the airport's expansion in the 1980s. The Thomas F. Riley Terminal is divided into three terminal areas, A, B and C, with dedicated commuter gate areas at the north end of Terminal A and south end of Terminal C.
All three terminals, A, B and C, are within the sameThomas F. Riley building and security screened passengers can move "airside" between all terminal areas. Security screening lanes exist in all three terminals adjacent to check-in. All security screening areas also have a "fast track" lane for first-class and elite frequent fliers along with fullTSA PreCheck availability based on TSA defined schedules. Switching between terminals indoors before security "landside" is also possible, the check-in counter areas between all three terminals have connecting walkways to allow access between all terminals. Complimentary Wi-Fi is provided in all three terminals.
Terminals A and B were built in 1990 to replace the former Eddie Martin Terminal which was closed upon the new terminals' opening. In November 2011, Terminal A added a dedicated commuter gate area, along with refreshed gates, signage and information displays at both Terminals A and B.
Terminals A and B were designed byGensler & Associates, Leason Pomeroy Associates, and Thompson Consultants International.[23] They contain restaurants, bars and shops, with a themed restaurant located in the airside connecting area of both terminals. In the upper rotunda above the themed restaurant is an American Airlines Admirals Club (operating out of Terminal A) and a United Club (operating out of Terminal B). The two lounges lie adjacent to each other on the mezzanine level. Terminal A has gates 1–8, and Terminal B has gates 9–15.
Terminal C opened in November 2011 and added seven new gates, a dedicated commuter gate area and new eateries and retail.
Terminal C also provides a U.S. Customs and Border Protection FIS/Federal Inspection Service for international flights that do not have pre-clearance. Two arrival gates feed into the FIS and passengers once cleared exit at the south end of the Terminal C arrivals area. The FIS facility has Global Entry kiosks for registered users to shorten processing time. The FIS facility was designed byGensler.[24] Terminal C has gates 16–22.
The Arrivals level is on the lower level of the airport and provides seven baggage claim belts, two in Terminal A, two in Terminal B and three in Terminal C. Baggage Claim 7 is for international arrivals. Immediately outside the baggage claim is the curbside arrivals pickup area. Rental car offices are between Terminal A and B baggage claim areas with most rental agencies on-site in the lower levels of the parking facility across the arrivals pickup area between Terminal A and B. Across the roadway from the arrivals pickup area between Terminal A and B is an island for public transportation, including taxis and buses.
John Wayne Airport offers international flights toMexico andCanada. The airport did not have any regularly scheduled international service until 2010 whenAir Canada began operations to Toronto, Ontario.[25] Flights from Canada complete immigration and customs formalities in Canada viaUnited States border preclearance.
Southwest Airlines operated international flights toPuerto Vallarta andSan José del Cabo inMexico as of March 11, 2021.[26] Prior to resumption, it previously served flights to Puerto Vallarta from June 18, 2015, until March 2017.[27][28][29] Southwest has also served flights toCabo San Lucas until March 2020, alongside terminating other destinations at the time due to passenger limitations following a 1985 settlement agreement.[30]
Canadian airlineWestJet provides non-stop year round service toVancouver since May 2011.[31] It is also serving direct flights toCalgary; it previously served that route from June 2011 to 2013 before ending operations up until its resumption on November 4, 2021.[32][33][34]
Air Canada also provides daily non-stop flights toVancouver, British Columbia since October 2, 2021.[25][35] It was set to start flights in June 2020, and then delayed to September 8, 2020, and then to May 2021, which would have marked its return to service to Orange County after 10 years.[36][37][38] It previously operated flights toToronto, Ontario from April 8, 2010, becoming the first-ever international airline to serve Orange County, until it ceased flights later that year.[39]
Alaska Airlines was scheduled for international service to Vancouver in 2002. However, a stop in Seattle (or change of planes) was required shortly after launch as John Wayne Airport was not authorized for pre-clearance or international flights by U.S. agencies at the time.[40]
Southwest Airlines' then-subsidiaryAirTran Airways began a new service in June 2012 from John Wayne Airport toCabo San Lucas andMexico City. This was the first international service to use the new FIS in Terminal C.[41] After its merger with AirTran was completed in 2014, Southwest continued to operate the Mexico flights under its original brand. However, Southwest then ended its service to Mexico City (MEX) from SNA in January 2017 before completely discontinuing all flights to MEX in March 2019.[42][43]
Mexico's low-cost carrierInterjet began a new service in October 2012 from Orange County toGuadalajara andMexico City.[44][45] It ended both flights in July 2014; the airport officials are seeking a replacement.[46]
Alaska Airlines began a Mexico service in October 2015. The airline began offering non-stop flights from John Wayne Airport toLos Cabos on October 8 andPuerto Vallarta on the following day, October 9. Alaska Airlines has continued this service to each airport on an every-other-day rotation.[47][48] Since August 2019, the airline has discontinued flights to Mexico.[49]
Airline officials have also been in negotiations with Mexican low-cost airlineVolaris, which has applied for an Orange County slot.[50][46]
A 1985 settlement agreement defined the scope of operation for John Wayne Airport in how it affects the local community. The area that lies directly south of John Wayne Airport is considered a noise-sensitive area. The agreement in conjunction with a Phase 2 Commercial Airline Access Plan and Regulation controls the number of noisier operations (mainly commercial aircraft) allowed from the airport. Noise abatement enforcement is carried out with the aid of 10 permanent noise monitoring stations. These stations are placed in areas that exceed aCommunity Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) of 65 dB. Noise reports are published by the airport and are available to the public.[51]
The takeoff procedure at John Wayne Airport is unique because of the local noise restrictions and short runway.[52] When using the typical traffic pattern (departures from runway 20R) most commercial airliners cycle to full power (95–97%) while holding at the end of the runway then release the brakes when engines are fully spooled up. Pilots must make a steep 25 degree climb to 500 to 700 feet (150–210 m), where engine power is reduced to reduce noise.[52] Pilots must also make a left turn after departure to 175 degrees to enter a corridor over the city ofNewport Beach where the noise was deemed to be the least disruptive. These procedures have led passengers to rate John Wayne Airport as one of the nation's scariest.[52] The takeoff has been described as one from anaircraft carrier, hence the airport's nicknameUSS John Wayne.
Departures from 2L (normally duringSanta Ana wind conditions) are not affected by these noise abatement procedures. Landings are also typically on runway 20R and almost always include full flap extensions and the use of full reverse thrust. Extension of the runway is almost impossible, as both ends are bounded by freeways along with numerous residences and businesses.
The county prohibits commercial departures between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM (8:00 AM on Sundays) and commercial arrivals between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM (8:00 AM on Sundays). Exceptions can be made for an emergency, mechanical, air traffic control, or weather delay, which is beyond the airline's control. Curfew exceptions by carrier are published by the airport and are available to the public.[51]
In 2003, the settlement agreement was amended to increase operations but only for aircraft meeting the lowest noise signatures. The amendment increased the annual passenger limit to 10.8 million, up from the original 8.4-million limit.[53]
In 2014, the Orange County Board of Supervisors set the airport restrictions for 2021 at 11.8 million passengers per year. This limit was to be an increase from 10.8 million annual passengers previously.
In 2026, the annual passenger limit is expected to increase to 12.2 or 12.5 million through 2030. The higher limit will be allowed only if the number of passengers reaches 95% of the annual limit in each year between 2021 and 2025.[54]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(December 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The following airlines offer scheduled passenger service. All international arrivals (excluding flights from destinations with U.S. border preclearance) are processed in Terminal C. JSX operates from space within theACI Jet building, an adjacent separate facility from the main passenger terminal.
John Wayne Airport covers 504 acres (204 ha).[1][89] The airport has multiple general aviation facilities, an airline concourse building split into three terminal areas, and 2 paved runways.
The airport is the home base for approximately 450 general aviation aircraft.[90][91]
The General Aviation Master Plan adopted in the early 1990s limits John Wayne Airport to two FBOs (fixed-base operator). Effective January 1, 2021, these two fixed-base operators areClay Lacy Aviation andACI Jet.[92] In addition to supporting fuel sales and other aircraft services, these companies lease facilities to flight training, charter, and aircraft maintenance businesses.
Orange County Sheriff's Department
John Wayne Airport has been the main base for theOrange County Sheriff's Department's Air Support Unit since 1985 when the county's board of supervisors approved the purchase of twoHughes MD 500E aircraft nicknamed "Duke I" and "Duke II". In 1998, the OCSD traded their MD 500E helicopters for newerMcDonnell Douglas MD 600N helicopters, becoming the first law enforcement agency to operate the MD 600N.[citation needed][further explanation needed] These helicopters were faster, quieter, and safer than the MD 500E.
The Air Support Unit currently operates of fleet ofEurocopter AS350 AStar helicopters, with aBell UH-1 Iroquois used forsearch and rescue purposes.[95]
Costa Mesa Police Department
TheCosta Mesa Police Department operated an aviation unit out of John Wayne Airport for 41 years. The division was called "ABLE" for Airborne Law Enforcement. ABLE disbanded in 2012; the unit's helicopters at the time of the disbandment were threeEurocopter EC120 Colibris.[citation needed]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona | 509,050 | American, Southwest |
| 2 | Seattle/Tacoma, Washington | 459,600 | Alaska, Delta |
| 3 | Denver, Colorado | 447,320 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 4 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 417,750 | Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
| 5 | San Francisco, California | 410,370 | Alaska, United |
| 6 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 392,630 | American |
| 7 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 305,180 | American, United |
| 8 | Oakland, California | 259,130 | Southwest, Spirit |
| 9 | San Jose, California | 235,630 | Alaska, Southwest |
| 10 | Sacramento, California | 213,550 | Southwest |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Airlines | 2,821,000 | 27.48% |
| 2 | American Airlines | 1,802,000 | 17.56% |
| 3 | United Airlines | 1,578,000 | 15.37% |
| 4 | Alaska Airlines | 1,134,000 | 11.05% |
| 5 | Delta Air Lines | 1,018,000 | 9.91% |
| Other Airlines | 1,913,000 | 18.63% |
| Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change | Year | Passengers | Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,586,596 | -- | 2000 | 7,772,801 |  4.0% | 2010 | 8,663,452 |  0.5% | 2020 | 3,794,850 | 64.4% | |||
| 1991 | 5,345,284 | 16.5% | 2001 | 7,324,557 | 5.8% | 2011 | 8,609,008 | 0.6% | 2021 | 7,700,489 | 30.8% | |||
| 1992 | 5,672,603 | 6.1% | 2002 | 7,903,066 | 7.9% | 2012 | 8,857,944 | 2.9% | 2022 | 11,360,839 | 47.5% | |||
| 1993 | 6,141,981 | 8.3% | 2003 | 8,535,130 | 8.0% | 2013 | 9,232,789 | 4.2% | 2023 | 11,741,325 | 3.3% | |||
| 1994 | 6,773,977 | 10.3% | 2004 | 9,272,394 | 8.6% | 2014 | 9,386,033 | 1.7% | 2024 | 11,089,405 | 5.6% | |||
| 1995 | 7,159,154 | 5.7% | 2005 | 9,627,032 | 3.8% | 2015 | 10,180,258 | 8.5% | 2025 | 11,369,865 | 2.5% | |||
| 1996 | 7,307,750 | 2.1% | 2006 | 9,613,480 | 0.1% | 2016 | 10,496,511 | 4.6% | 2026 | |||||
| 1997 | 7,718,415 | 5.6% | 2007 | 9,979,699 | 3.8% | 2017 | 10,423,578 | 0.7% | 2027 | |||||
| 1998 | 7,460,179 | 3.3% | 2008 | 8,989,603 | 9.9% | 2018 | 10,664,038 | 2.3% | 2028 | |||||
| 1999 | 7,470,415 | 0.1% | 2009 | 8,705,199 | 3.2% | 2019 | 10,656,986 | 0.1% | 2029 |
John Wayne Airport is located next to the interchange betweenI-405 (San Diego Freeway) and MacArthur Boulevard. The airport is also near I-405's interchange withSR 55 (Costa Mesa Freeway). Heading south on MacArthur Boulevard from the airport provides access toSR 73 (Corona del Mar Freeway), which becomes theSan Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor (toll road) southeast of MacArthur Boulevard.
The airport is served byOrange County Transportation Authority ("OCTA") route 76, which runs only on weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm.
The airport is served by theEveryone Ventures Everywhere (EVE) on-demand public transit shuttle service ofAnaheim Resort Transportation, which runs seven days a week, from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm.[98]
On-site car rentals are available in the basement level of the Parking A2/B2 garages. Off-site car rental shuttles are available at the Ground Transportation Center.
The airport has four parking garages open in the main terminal area: A1, A2, B2 and C. Valet parking is available between at a drop off/pick up area Terminals A and B, and between Terminals B and C. An off-airport parking lot (Main Street Parking) is also available at 1512 Main Street in Irvine, with free shuttle service to the terminals.
Taxis and private shuttles are available from the Ground Transportation Center located outside the lower level between Terminal A and B.
Transportation network companies,Lyft,Uber andWingz, are available. Drop-offs can be made at the departure level outside each terminal; pickups are allowed only in designated parking structure areas assigned for pickups for transportation network companies (No pickups are allowed on the arrivals or departures level.)[99]
On February 17, 1981,Air California (AirCal) Flight 336 (aBoeing 737-200), with 105 passengers and five crew members, was flying fromSan Jose, to John Wayne Airport and crashed upon initiating ago-around. The crew was cleared for a visual approach to Runway 19R while the controller had cleared a smaller plane to take off from 19R. Upon realizing that the landing aircraft might overtake the departing one, the controller ordered the flight to go around and the other aircraft to abort its takeoff, which it did. The captain of the landing Air California aircraft delayed the go-around then initiated a gear up procedure before a positive rate of climb was achieved, causing the plane to stall. The 737 then banked left at low altitude causing the left wingtip to make contact with the runway. Then the nose came down, striking the ground, and the airplane spun around and skidded down the runway before coming to rest in the margin. A fire started, but the passengers and crew exited the plane. Of the passengers, four sustained serious injuries, and 29 suffered minor injuries. The aircraft,registered N468AC, was damaged beyond repair and was written off.[100]
On December 15, 1993, a charteredIAI Westwindbusiness jet carrying two flight crew members and three passengers (including Rich Snyder, president ofIn-N-Out Burger), crashed while on approach to John Wayne Airport. All five occupants were killed in the crash. The aircraft, which departedBrackett Field, 30 miles to the north inLa Verne, followed aBoeing 757 for landing, became caught in the 757'swake turbulence, rolled into a deep descent, and crashed near the intersection ofState Route 55 and Edinger Avenue. The crash investigation led to theFAA requirement for an adequate period between heavy aircraft and following light aircraft to allow wake turbulence to diminish.[101]
On February 13, 2017,Harrison Ford accidentally landed hisAviat Husky on taxiway C, to the left of runway 20L. ABoeing 737 was holding short of 20L on the taxiway when Ford overflew them.[102]
On June 30, 2017, aCessna 310 twin-engine aircraft crashed short of a runway into a highway median onInterstate 405. The pilot made a mayday call shortly after taking off from John Wayne Airport and attempted to land after being cleared for emergency landing on runway 20R. Two people on board were injured in the crash.[103]
On August 5, 2018, aCessna 414 scheduled to land at John Wayne Airport crashed into aStaples parking lot a few blocks north of the airport in nearby Santa Ana, killing at least five people.[104][105]
On January 26, 2020, aSikorsky S-76B helicopter took off from John Wayne Airport at approximately 9:06 am PST carrying retiredNBA basketball playerKobe Bryant along with his 13-year-old daughterGianna, college baseball coachJohn Altobelli and six others bound forCamarillo Airport for a basketball event inThousand Oaks. En route, the helicoptercrashed into a hillside inCalabasas south ofU.S. Route 101, killing all nine people on board on impact. The helicopter had been seen in distress under heavy fog, according to witnesses. The cause of the crash waspilot error andspatial disorientation.[106][107][108]
On the evening of August 20, 2021, an unauthorized person bypassed security and gained access to thetarmac near Terminal C, prompting a lockdown of the airport. The suspect took control of aground crew vehicle and drove it around before abandoning it and re-entering the terminal.[109] Police later discovered the suspect hiding in an attic space inside the terminal and took him into custody.[110]
Lyon Air Museum, founded by Major GeneralWilliam Lyon in 2009, is located in a hangar on the west side of the airport. It focuses particularly onWorld War II military aircraft and vehicles. The air museum features a rotating selection of antique cars from General Lyon's personal collection every year for a limited time. Past features include a collection of the General'sDuesenbergs andPackard collections. The museum also hosted theCollings Foundation's annual flight experience program every spring, allowing the public the opportunity to fly in a historicBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress orConsolidated B-24 Liberator,[111] until that program was terminated in 2020 by the Federal Aviation Administration following thefatal 2019 crash of the Foundation's B-17 inWindsor Locks, Connecticut.
The area around John Wayne Airport has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) characteristic of coastalSouthern California.
| Climate data for John Wayne Airport, California (normals 1981–2010) (extremes 1999–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) | 90 (32) | 95 (35) | 99 (37) | 99 (37) | 96 (36) | 99 (37) | 100 (38) | 110 (43) | 106 (41) | 100 (38) | 90 (32) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 66.5 (19.2) | 66.3 (19.1) | 67.3 (19.6) | 69.0 (20.6) | 71.7 (22.1) | 73.6 (23.1) | 77.9 (25.5) | 80 (27) | 79.3 (26.3) | 75.2 (24.0) | 71 (22) | 65.9 (18.8) | 72 (22) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56.7 (13.7) | 57.4 (14.1) | 59.4 (15.2) | 61.4 (16.3) | 65 (18) | 67.3 (19.6) | 71.1 (21.7) | 72.6 (22.6) | 71.5 (21.9) | 67 (19) | 61.6 (16.4) | 56.1 (13.4) | 63.9 (17.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 47 (8) | 48.6 (9.2) | 51.5 (10.8) | 53.9 (12.2) | 58.3 (14.6) | 61 (16) | 64.4 (18.0) | 65.3 (18.5) | 63.8 (17.7) | 58.7 (14.8) | 52.1 (11.2) | 46.2 (7.9) | 55.9 (13.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 33 (1) | 36 (2) | 41 (5) | 41 (5) | 49 (9) | 54 (12) | 57 (14) | 58 (14) | 56 (13) | 46 (8) | 37 (3) | 36 (2) | 33 (1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.91 (74) | 2.95 (75) | 1.9 (48) | 0.89 (23) | 0.23 (5.8) | 0.08 (2.0) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.03 (0.76) | 0.22 (5.6) | 0.75 (19) | 1.25 (32) | 2.08 (53) | 13.33 (339) |
| Source:NOAA[112] | |||||||||||||
John Wayne Airport-Orange County Arprt
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Media related toJohn Wayne Airport at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
