January 8, 2003

(Santa Ana, CA)  - Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in December 2002 as compared to December 2001. In December 2002, the passenger traffic count was 695,284, an increase of 21.6% when compared to the December 2001 passenger traffic count of 571,876.

In addition, Commercial Carrier flight operations showed an increase of 4.4%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations showed an increase of 101.0% when compared to the same levels recorded in December 2001.

Total aircraft operations decreased in December 2002 as compared to the same month in 2001. In December 2002, the total aircraft operations (take-offs and landings) were 28,520, a decrease of 0.3% when compared to the December 2001 total aircraft operations count of 28,593.

General aviation activity, which accounted for 72% of the total aircraft operations during December 2002, showed a decrease of 4.1% when compared to December 2001.

John Wayne Airport is a self-supporting enterprise, owned and operated by the County of Orange.

695,284

571,876

21.6%

7,903,066

7,324,557

7.9%

342,052

282,499

21.1%

3,957,565

3,672,827

7.8%

353,232

289,377

22.1%

3,945,501

3,651,730

8.0%

1,491

1,211

23.1%

15,646

16,146

-3.1%

28,520

28,593

-0.3%

368,627

378,903

-2.7%

20,453

21,335

-4.1%

274,603

284,019

-3.3%

7,039

6,740

4.4%

84,597

84,766

-0.2%

1,023

509

101.0%

9,265

9,984

-7.2%

5

9

-44.4%

162

134

20.9%