The main runway, 2L/20R, at 5,700 feet (1,700 m) in length, is the shortest runway in the United States that handles regularly scheduled international flights, and passenger jetliners operating from the airport have never been larger than the Boeing 757 (although some larger cargo aircraft fly from SNA, such as the widebody Airbus A300 operated by FedEx).

[11] The facility was used as part of the Santa Ana Army Air Base during World War II, after which it was returned by the federal government to the county with the stipulation that it remain open to all kinds of aviation uses.

Nonstop flights reached Salt Lake City in 1976–77 (Hughes DC-9s), Denver in 1982 (Frontier MD-80s), Dallas/Fort Worth in 1983 (American MD-80s), Chicago–O'Hare in 1986 (AirCal 737-300s), and New York–Kennedy in 1991 (America West 757-200s).

The new facility included 14 loading bridges, four baggage carousels, wide-open spaces and distinct roadside arrival and departure levels.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new, larger airport was proposed for the nearby site of the then recently closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

However, after a series of political battles, combined with significant opposition from residents in the vicinity of El Toro, the proposal was defeated, and no new airport was built.

In June 2020, an airport name change was requested, due to comments John Wayne made, believed to be in support of white supremacy to Playboy in a 1971 interview.

[17] In September 2020, Orange County officials have planned to end all of JSX operations at SNA on January 1, 2021, stating it is "no longer welcomed".

Southwest Airlines is operating international flights to Puerto Vallarta and San José del Cabo in Mexico as of March 11, 2021.

[26][27][28] Southwest has also served flights to Cabo San Lucas until March 2020, alongside terminating other destinations at the time due to passenger limitations following a 1985 settlement agreement.

[24][34] It was set to start flights in June 2020, and then delayed to September 8, 2020, and then to May 2021, which would have marked its return to service to Orange County after 10 years.

However, a stop in Seattle (or change of planes) was required shortly after launch as John Wayne Airport was not authorized for pre-clearance or international flights by U.S. agencies at the time.

[39] Southwest Airlines' then-subsidiary AirTran Airways began a new service in June 2012 from John Wayne Airport to Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City.

This was the first international service to use the new FIS in Terminal C.[40] After its merger with AirTran was completed in 2014, Southwest continued to operate the Mexico flights under its original brand.

[49][45] A 1985 settlement agreement defined the scope of operation for John Wayne Airport in how it affects the local community.

[50] The takeoff procedure at John Wayne Airport is unique because of the local noise restrictions and short runway.

[51] Pilots must also make a left turn after departure to 175 degrees to enter a corridor over the city of Newport Beach where the noise was deemed to be the least disruptive.

[1][75] The airport has multiple general aviation facilities, an airline concourse building split into three terminal areas, and 2 paved runways.

[76][77] The General Aviation Master Plan adopted in the early 1990s limits John Wayne Airport to two FBOs (fixed-base operator).

The Air Support Unit currently operates of fleet of Eurocopter AS350 AStar helicopters, with a Bell UH-1 Iroquois used for search and rescue purposes.

[citation needed] John Wayne Airport is located next to the interchange between I-405 (San Diego Freeway) and MacArthur Boulevard.

The airport is served by Orange County Transportation Authority ("OCTA") route 76, which runs only on weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm.

)[85] On February 17, 1981, Air California (AirCal) Flight 336 (a Boeing 737-200), with 105 passengers and five crew members, was flying from San Jose, to John Wayne Airport and crashed upon initiating a go-around.

The captain of the landing Air California aircraft delayed the go-around then initiated a gear up procedure before a positive rate of climb was achieved, causing the plane to stall.

[86] On December 15, 1993, a chartered IAI Westwind business jet carrying two flight crew members and three passengers (including Rich Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger), crashed while on approach to John Wayne Airport.

The aircraft, which departed Brackett Field, 30 miles to the north in La Verne, followed a Boeing 757 for landing, became caught in the 757's wake turbulence, rolled into a deep descent, and crashed near the intersection of State Route 55 and Edinger Avenue.

[92][93][94] On the evening of August 20, 2021, an unauthorized person bypassed security and gained access to the tarmac near Terminal C, prompting a lockdown of the airport.

A video of the landing filmed from inside the cabin and posted online showed a commotion among the passengers and sparks on the runway from the plane.

[99] The air museum features a rotating selection of antique cars from General Lyon's personal collection every year for a limited time.

The area around John Wayne Airport has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) characteristic of coastal Southern California.