JSX won’t be shut out from one of its largest markets after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Orange County and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California from preventing the jet service from operating at an FBO there effective January 1. New lease agreements approved in September by the Orange County board of supervisors and between the county-owned airport and its FBOs—ACI Jet and Clay Lacy Aviation—prohibited JSX from leasing space at ACI for its operations, a key element to the company providing its scheduled charter service there.
“JSX's award-winning hop-on service will continue to fly to and from John Wayne Airport in the interim and JSX will continue to work in good faith with all parties towards a mutually acceptable long-term accommodation,” said JSX CEO Alex Wilcox. “I am deeply grateful to the over 10,000 people who voiced their support for JSX in the past week, and to all JSX crewmembers for bravely continuing to make JSX such a valued service to so many in Orange County and beyond, in spite of the many challenges this year.”
The restraining order comes after JSX filed a lawsuit on December 14 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California-Southern Division seeking to continue operations at the airport. A spokeswoman told AIN that the airport will comply with the order.