John Wayne Airport
| John Wayne Airport Orange County Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: SNA - ICAO: KSNA | |||
| Summary <tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Airport type</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Public</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Operator</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Orange County</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Serves</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Santa Ana, California</td></tr> | |||
| Elevation AMSL | 56 ft (17 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 1L/19R | 5,701 | 1,738 | Asphalt |
| 1R/19L | 2,887 | 880 | Asphalt |
John Wayne Airport (IATA: SNA, ICAO: KSNA) is located in Orange County, California, between the cities of Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. The Associated Press calls it John Wayne International Airport, although it does not offer international destinations. Originally named Orange County Airport, the county Board of Supervisors renamed it in 1979 to honor the actor John Wayne, who resided on Lido Island in nearby Newport Harbor and died that year. The airport serves both general and commercial aviation needs for the area. The main runway, at 5,701 feet, is one of the shortest of any major airport in the United States, effectively restricting use to aircraft no larger than a Boeing 757. Thus, the short runway, coupled with local noise restrictions, requires a takeoff at or near full power, followed by a steep climb, a sudden reduction in power, and two turns closely following the Upper Newport Bay. Interesting fact is that all the aircraft have to turn on the brakes, turn on full power, and then release the breaks enabling the aircraft to take off using only a quarter to a half of the small runway. Landings almost always require the use of reverse thrust.
The main passenger terminal, the Thomas F. Riley Terminal, is named for the late County Supervisor who lobbied for the airport's expansion in the 1980s. The Riley Terminal is divided into two concourses, A and B, with satellite buildings serving commuter flights. A separate terminal serves general aviation.
John Wayne Airport is 14 miles from Orange County's signature attraction - Anaheim, home of the Disneyland Resort. By contrast, Los Angeles International Airport is 35 miles from Anaheim.
A statue of the airport's namesake welcomes passengers passing through the arrivals area on the lower level.
Contents |
History
The first airstrip on the grounds was constructed in 1923, when Eddie Martin founded a flying school on land owned by the Irvine Company. It was purchased through a land swap by the County of Orange in 1939 and remains under the County's ownership and management.
On June 19, 1950, the first commercial drag strip, the Santa Ana Drag, was started on a runway at the airport and ran every Sunday. Due to increased air traffic, the strip closed in 1959.
In 1967, the first terminal building for commercial passengers was constructed and named for Eddie Martin. The Eddie Martin Terminal was demolished in 1994, since replaced by the aforementioned Riley Terminal.
On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255, flying from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Michigan to John Wayne Airport with an intermediate stop at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, crashed upon takeoff from Detroit, killing all onboard except for a young girl.
Population and economic growth in the region spurred expansion and remodeling projects in 1974, 1980, 1982, and 1990. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new airport was proposed on the nearby site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. After a prolonged battle, however, the proposal was defeated and no new airport was built.
In 2003, SNA served 8,535,130 persons and 15,406 tons of air cargo. Additionally, 2003 saw 249,551 takeoffs and landings by general aviation.
In 2004, Chris Norby of the county Board of Supervisors, proposed changing the airport's name to The O.C. Airport, John Wayne Field, in light of the popularity of the TV series The O.C. He withdrew the idea after receiving negative publicity and angry responses from local residents.
Commercial airlines serving John Wayne Airport
Terminal A
- Alaska Airlines Gates 10 & 14 (Oakland, Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma)
- American Airlines Gates 8 - 10 & 14 (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Jose, St. Louis)
- American Eagle Gates 14A - 14B (San Francisco, San Jose (CA))
- Continental Airlines Gate 11 (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
- Delta Air Lines Gates 12 - 13 (Atlanta, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Salt Lake City)
- Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (Salt Lake City)
Terminal B
- Aloha Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento)
- Frontier Airlines (Denver)
- Northwest Airlines Gate 3 (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
- Southwest Airlines Gates 1 - 3 & 6 - 7 (Chicago-Midway, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Jose (CA))
- United Airlines Gates 4 - 5 (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, San Francisco)
- United Express operated by SkyWest Gate 1A (Los Angeles, San Francisco)
- US Airways Gates 6 - 7
- US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)
- US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Phoenix)
External links
- John Wayne Airport-Orange County
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KSNA
- MyMetar weather for KSNA
- ASN Accident history for KSNA
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS current and historical weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KSNA
- FAA current SNA delay information
Categories
Orange County, California | Airports of Los Angeles