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Southwest Airlines Co. is prevailing in a game of musical chairs at John Wayne Airport.
The Dallas-based airline recently won approval from airport officials to handle 236,000 more travelers at John Wayne, equating to about four new daily flights.
"We see the market as strong," said Steve Hubbell, properties manager for Southwest in Dallas, who declined to elaborate on the airline's plans for more flights.
The extra flights broaden Southwest's foothold as the largest airline at John Wayne.
It's been a long time coming.
In the 1990s, Southwest had to deal with John Wayne's noise-abatement takeoff procedures and opposition from rivals to get into the airport. It started operating there in 1994.
Now Southwest is seizing upon the financial woes of other airlines to gain a bigger slice of the market at the airport nestled between Irvine, Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.
The airline now handles about a quarter of daily flights at John Wayne, according to airport...