"Oxnard to Ask Mesa Airlines to Agree Not to Fly Jet Planes"

Thursday, September 21, 2000

Oxnard to Ask Mesa Airlines to Agree Not to Fly Jet Planes
Airport: Residents cheer vote to urge company to use only quieter turboprop
or piston-driven craft.
By GAIL DAVIS, Special to The Times
The Los Angeles (CA) Times


     OXNARD--The City Council voted Tuesday to ask Phoenix-based Mesa
Airlines to voluntarily agree to fly only turboprop or piston-driven planes
into Oxnard Airport.

     The city will forward the request to the Ventura County Board of
Supervisors, which has final say in airport operations and approved a lease
agreement last week that allows the airline to run two flights a day between
Oxnard and Phoenix.

     Tuesday's proposal was made by Mayor Manuel Lopez and cheered at the
meeting by residents who complained that the airport causes too much noise
and pollution and should be closed.

     Some residents said they feared Mesa would establish itself at the
airport and then switch from propeller planes to noisier 37-seat jets, which
are rapidly replacing turboprop planes in smaller markets.

     On other routes, Mesa has been replacing its propeller planes with the
small jets, which travelers prefer, but Hal Fahrenbruch, manager of
properties and facilities for Mesa Airlines, said that might not happen in
Oxnard.

     "There are some cities who are obviously in need of the larger aircraft
and where that's needed, of course that's what we'll do, but that's not
anything to do with Oxnard Airport," Fahrenbruch said.

     He declined to comment on the council's decision.

     County counsel Jim McBride said the request will not alter the lease
and that the county has no authority to impose restrictions on what planes
Mesa can fly. He added that Mesa could voluntarily honor the spirit of the
request and agree not to fly jets.

     The council vote was 4 to 0. Councilman Tom Holden was absent.

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