A Way to Help O.C. Businesses Compete

* Thank you for the article covering the formation of the Competitiveness Alliance of Orange County (“O.C. Business Owners Call for Cargo Planes at Airport,” April 20) and our drive to see limited cargo flights that meet the county’s noise standards at John Wayne Airport. I am concerned, however, that the story may have given your readers the wrong idea of the noise level of the plane UPS is proposing for John Wayne. In fact, an analysis of the noise tent conducted by the airport staff showed the fully loaded Boeing 757 would be quieter than 74% of the average daily departures out of John Wayne.

Limited cargo flights at John Wayne do not have to mean more planes or more noise. They will mean Orange County businesses have a better chance to compete with other areas for overnight sales.

Currently, many local firms have to cut off overnight delivery orders one to two hours earlier than competitors in other parts of the state because our shipments have to be trucked to Ontario, Long Beach or LAX. That means we lose thousands of dollars in sales every day, and that translates into lost jobs for Orange County.

PETER ZOMAYA

Co-Chair

Competitiveness Alliance of Orange County

Irvine