County : America West Granted 2 Conditional Flights

County supervisors agreed Wednesday to allow America West Airlines to make two daily departures of a “quiet” version of the Boeing 737-300 if the airliner meets noise regulations at John Wayne Airport.

The airline, which has four daily flights of other aircraft from the airport, is participating in a two-month test of the jetliner.

The supervisors established 14 daily flights for quiet aircraft in the “permanent” category. They granted six each to PSA and AirCal, both of which fly the quiet, British-made BAe 146, and two to America West, if the modified Boeing 737-300 qualifies. PSA and AirCal had sought seven flights each in the quiet category.

Airport officials have established two categories of flights, permanent and supplemental. They control passenger traffic by increasing or decreasing airlines’ supplemental flights, which are granted for three-month periods.

PSA and AirCal have been flying 16 departures of quiet planes daily in the supplemental category. Their total number of flights will not change for the time being, but the six flights will become permanent, along with 10 supplemental flights.

All three airlines fly other, noisier types of aircraft as well, and the supervisors’ actions did not affect those flights.

Last year, 3.28 million passengers used the airport. Under a compromise agreement to settle a lawsuit brought by Newport Beach residents, the supervisors last year agreed to limit the number of passengers to 4.75 million per year, at least through March 31, 1990.