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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Airport Authority Questions Van Nuys Jet Ban

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority has opposed a proposed ban of certain jet aircraft at Van Nuys Airport that will result in more private jets using Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. The airport authority instead suggested a nighttime ban of Stage 2 aircraft at Van Nuys, which is also being pursued by the authority for Bob Hope. On Nov. 3, the authority directed its staff to submit comments challenging the assumptions that 82 percent of the Stage 2 aircraft will leave Van Nuys or install hush kits and that 34 percent will shift operations to Camarillo Airport. The authority believes those numbers to be over-estimated because most jets diverted from Van Nuys will end up at Bob Hope because of its close proximity to the major Hollywood studios and production companies that make up much of the business jet travel demand. By pursuing an outright ban of the jets, Los Angeles World Airports is doing an end run around a required study for the Federal Aviation Administration, Authority President Bill Wiggins said. “The authority firmly believes that LAWA’s attempt to ban daytime operations of noisier Stage 2 jets at Van Nuys without completing such a study of the costs is improper and circumvents federal law,” Wiggins said. The authority is currently conducting its own study on the costs and benefits of a nighttime curfew at Bob Hope. The authority would support LAWA doing its own study to bring a nighttime curfew to Van Nuys, Wiggin said. “Pursuing a ban on all Stage 2 jets at this time makes it much more difficult to obtain FAA approval of a meaningful nighttime curfew,” Wiggins said.

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