Sounding Off:

In response to Sunday’s editorial (“Think through this airport idea,” Dec. 6), John Wayne Airport now has 9 million passengers per year (330 jet flights per day). Before the recent economic downturn, the airport was at 10 million passengers per year, leaving only an 800,000-passenger cushion before the restraints of the settlement agreement kick in with a cap of 10.8 million.

As Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry said when interviewed by the Daily Pilot at Friday’s AirFair forum in Newport Beach, that demand is such at JWA that the Disney-bound passengers could fly in via Ontario, and their seats at JWA will be quickly filled by other passengers. Who knows? Maybe the non-Disney-bound passengers will come to our cities.

Moving Disneyland-bound passengers away from JWA is not an economic loss for Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. These particular passengers are on their way to Anaheim by shuttle or van. Unlike passengers bound for our immediate beach communities and shopping centers, these passengers have indicated their destination as Disneyland.

The Daily Pilot should not worry too much about a decline in passengers. For the last three months, passenger growth has increased 5% each month. While that does not equal the fast growth of 8% a year prior to 2007, it does show that with the resurgence of the U.S. economy, JWA will once again be near the 10.8 million cap.

When that cap expires in 2015, does that mean the Daily Pilot will advocate 12.8 million or 15 million passengers because it will be good for the our economy? How many planes per day are enough?

And, will you also advocate that the planes fly day and night? Is that also good for the economy?

Airlines and hotels, headquartered elsewhere, will say yes. However, economics is not just about the jingle of the cash register. Economic modeling now takes into account quality-of-life issues. Too many flights and you “foul the nest.”

That is why AirFair believes that JWA should be capped at 10.8 million passengers. That gives us a manageable tourist base.

Air, water and noise pollution are also economic consequences, affecting our health, environment and lowering property values.

Allowing JWA to grow beyond its present cap affects swaths of communities ranging from all of Eastside Costa Mesa, a large part of Newport Beach encompassing everything along the Bay from Santa Ana Heights to Lido Isle, including Balboa Island, Linda Isle and even parts of Newport Heights.

Moreover, the incoming flight path goes over Tustin, the Foothill Communities, Orange and Anaheim Hills.

Rest easy, Daily Pilot editors. Those seats will fill again very quickly.

It was just three years ago when Southwest requested an additional million seats a year. We are in lovely communities with wonderful amenities. If we keep it that way, tourists will still come.

NANCY ALSTON is a Newport Beach resident and member of AirFair.