Approximately 32 percent of flights arrive from the west, north and northwest. This occurs approximately 70 percent of the time. Other factors that affect the arrival sequence include the amount of air traffic in the airspace, aircraft performance characteristics and the instrument approach procedure. No changes to arrival routes have been made in recent years. Because weather and prevailing wind are the factors controlling the arrival and departure routes, it would not be possible to change the routes so that all flights landed from the west, directly over the water and departed to the east.
Aircraft perform poorly when taking off and landing in tail wind conditions.
There is no unpopulated area east or west of Monterey Park over which arrival paths can be shifted to lessen the noise impact. On average, operations have increased approximately 2.5 percent per year over the last three years. FAA and industry forecasts project a growth rate of 54 percent for commercial aviation over the next twelve years. Several options are being studied by city and county governments to handle this projected increase including a proposal to use Palmdale Airport as a reliever and the proposed use of the former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro as a civilian airport. Aircraft navigating under instrument flight rules do not descend below 2,500 feet MSL until west of Monterey Park.