JOHN WAYNE ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT (SNA) INFORMATION

John Wayne Airport was originally named Orange County Airport, but was renamed after the well-known actor after he died in 1979 as he lived in neighboring Newport Beach.

The airport is owned and operated by Orange County and it is a commercial and general aviation airport that serves Orange County, California and the Greater Los Angeles area. It is surrounded by the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, while the official mailing address is registered in the county seat, Santa Ana.

The IATA code for John Wayne Airport is SNA and the ICAO code is KSNA.

The airport was the second busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area by passenger count in 2014 with over 9 million passengers, and in 2020 they saw 3,794,850 passengers come through it, which can be compared to 10,656,986 passengers in 2019.

The first airstrip was constructed in 1923 in order to operate a flying school on land owned by Irvine Company, which was owned by James Irvine. A 5-year lease was signed with Eddie Martin for this purpose. In 1939 the land was purchased through a land swap by the County of Orange and has remained under their ownership and management ever since.

The first hangar was added by Martin in 1926 and in 1935 Howard Hughes staged his world speed record-setting flight from the Eddie Martin Airport, as it was called back then.

In 1942, with the opening of the Santa Ana Army Air Base, the Martin Field was temporarily closed.

The original single runway was 4,800 ft/1,500 m long, but when the airport was rebuilt in 1964 two parallel asphalt runways were configured with the longer runway at 5,701 ft/1,738 m and the shorter, being one of the shortest runways in the US, at 2,887 ft/880 m.

In the 1950s Bonanza operated flights between Los Angeles and Phoenix, via San Diego and in 1963 they began operating nonstop flights to Phoenix. In 1965 they added Las Vegas and in 1967 Air California started nonstop flights to San Francisco with 48 flights a week each way.

The 22,000 square-ft/2,000 square-m Eddie Martin Terminal was built in 1967 to accommodate 400,000 passengers a year with additions made in 1974, 1980 and 1982.

In 1990 the Thomas F. Riley Terminal opened replacing the aging Eddie Martin Terminal, which was demolished in 1994. In 2011 the terminal space was expanded and refreshed as part of a $543 million project and it now houses all three terminals, A, B and C.

In 2020 a name change was requested due to some comments the actor made in a 1971 Playboy interview believed to have been in support of white supremacy and the airport was sued by the airline JSX after the airport they were no longer welcome to operate from the airport after which the airline won a temporary restraining order preventing the airport from terminating the airline’s operations on January 1st, 2021.

Arrivals, Departures and Airlines at John Wayne Orange County Airport

• See live flight arrivals information at John Wayne Orange County Airport
• See live flight departures information at John Wayne Orange County Airport
• See all airlines and routes that serve John Wayne Orange County Airport

The Terminals

There are 3 terminals in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal housing 22 gates in total. Thomas F. Riley was a county supervisor who lobbied for the airport’s expansion in the 1980s.

There are dedicated commuter gate areas at the north end of Terminal A and the south end of Terminal C. All terminals have security screening lanes and check-in areas on landside, including their individual fast track lanes. The check-in counter areas have connecting walkways between the terminals and once through to airside passengers can move easily between the three terminals.

Terminal A has gates 1-8, Terminal B has gates 9-15 and Terminal C has gates 16-22.

The terminal building is divided into separate levels with Arrivals on the lower level and Departures on the upper level.

International flights arrive and depart from Terminal C. Currently there are international flight connections with Canada and Mexico.

Airlines that currently operate the airport are Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, JSX, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, United Express and WestJet.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Air Support Unit has used John Wayne Airport as its base since 1985.

Transfers at Orange County John Wayne Airport

Car Rentals – On-site car rental companies at John Wayne Airport are available opposite the John Wayne statue on the lower level between Terminal A and Terminal B, while off-site car rental shuttles are available in the Ground Transportation Center in the Parking Structure opposite the Terminal building.

Buses – OCTA (Orange County Transportation Authority) operates Route 76 local bus, which runs approximately once a day in each direction, westbound and eastbound, from morning to evening on weekdays. See more about bus transfers at John Wayne Airport.

Shuttles – the iShuttle Route 400A connects the airport with Tustin Metrolink Station for as little as $1.00. It runs at least once an hour from morning to evening on weekdays.

Private shuttles can be found in the Ground Transportation Center and are subject to reservations only.

Trains – Tustin Metrolink station can be reached via the iShuttle during weekdays and there are also Santa Ana train station and Irvine train station located within 10 miles from the airport. Those can most easily be reached using a taxi.

Taxis – Taxi ranks are found in Terminal C near Column 14 on the Arrival level and in the Ground Transportation Center between Terminal A and Terminal B, also on Arrival level.

Parking at Orange County John Wayne Airport

There are four parking garages in the main terminal area, all with valet parking available during day hours, as well as an off-airport parking lot at Main Street in Irvine offering free shuttle service to the terminals. The Cell Phone Waiting area for visitors waiting to pick-up passengers is located near Parking C. See more about car parking at John Wayne Airport.

Hotels near John Wayne Orange County Airport

There are a number of hotels to suit all budgets and requirements at or near John Wayne Orange County Airport.

Food and Beverages at Orange County John Wayne Airport

There are many options to eat and drink once through to the airside of each terminal, and it is also possible to move in between the terminals once through the security screening.

Shopping at Orange County John Wayne Airport

There are a few shops located past security controls, on airside, in the separate terminals.

ATMs at Orange County John Wayne Airport

There are ATMs on airside for arriving travelers are located in the Baggage Claim area on the Arrivals level (lower level) near Carousels 1, 4 and 6/7 and for departing travelers near Gate 7 I Terminal A, near Gate 10 in Terminal B and near Gate 17 in Terminal C.

Charging Stations at Orange County John Wayne Airport

Electrical outlets and USB ports are located throughout the terminal building, easily accessible. Most are located underneath seating or along seatbacks.

Currency Exchange Services at Orange County John Wayne Airport

There are no currency exchange services available at John Wayne Airport.

Lost & Found at Orange County John Wayne Airport

If you have lost an item in a public area of the airport or during the security screening, please contact Airport Police Services at +1 949 252-5140.

If you have lost an item at the gate or on an airplane please contact the airline directly.

Smoking at Orange County John Wayne Airport

It is only allowed to smoke in dedicated areas outside the terminal building.

WiFi at Orange County John Wayne Airport

Free wireless internet access is provided by John Wayne Airport to all their visitors. All that is needed is to connect to the “JWAFREEWIFI” network and sign in to start surfing.

Water Refill Stations at Orange County John Wayne Airport

Water refill stations can be found adjacent to the water fountains next to the restrooms throughout the terminals. All size bottles can be filled up with fresh, cold and filtered water for free.

Things to do in Orange County, California

There are a number of activities to suit all ages and interests in the region - see a selection of tourist activities in Orange County, California in the United States of America.

Airport Contacts

Address: John Wayne Airport, 18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707, USA
General Phone: +1 949 252-5200
General Email: info@ocair.com
Lost and Found Email: info@ocair.com
Lost and Found phone: +1 949 252-5140
Official Website: https://www.ocair.com/

Local Information

Drive on: Right
Electricity: 120V/60Hz
Plug: A, B
Currency: US Dollar, USD, $