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John Wayne Airport is located in Orange County, California , between the cities of Santa Ana , Newport Beach , Costa Mesa , and Irvine . Originally named '''Orange County Airport''', the county Board of Supervisors renamed it in 1979 to honor the actor John Wayne . The airport serves both general and commercial aviation needs for the area. John Wayne Airport's main runway, at 5,701 feet, is one of the shortest of any major airport in the United States effectively restricting its commercial use to aircraft no larger than a Boeing 757 or Airbus A310 . The short runway length, combined with noise restrictions, requires an unusual takeoff at or near full power, with a steep climb followed by a sudden reduction in power and a sharp turn; pilots typically warn passengers in advance. John Wayne Airport is served by eleven commercial airlines and four commuter airlines. It has one main terminal, the Thomas F. Riley Terminal, named for the County Supervisor who had 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 . 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 was forced to close 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 , several years after the completion of the modern Riley Terminal. On August 16 , 1987 , Northwest Airlines Flight 255 , which was flying from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport near Detroit , Michigan to John Wayne Airport with an intermediate stop at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix , Arizona , crashed after takeoff in Detroit, killing all of the passengers 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 , a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Chris Norby , tried to get the name changed to ''The O.C. Airport, John Wayne Field'', because of the popularity of the TV series '' The O.C. ''. He backed down after receiving some negative publicity and angry responses from Orange County residents. COMMERCIAL AIRLINES SERVING JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT Terminal A
Terminal B
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