County Votes to Expand Commercial Flights at Carlsbad Airport

United Airlines to Resume Flights from McClellan-Palomar Airport

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a lease on Wednesday that allows United Airlines to restart daily commercial flights from McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, starting March 30. This decision, however, came with significant controversy and opposition from local residents and city officials.

The vote was 4-1, with Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer voting against the lease. She argued that the agreement should include a written requirement for planes to operate only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. to minimize noise disruption. Lawson-Remer also emphasized the need for collaboration between the county and city to “get the V out of VNAP,” referring to the voluntary noise abatement program at the airport.

The FAA controls all in-flight operations, and only the agency can make the noise abatement program mandatory. A county staffer noted that past attempts to make such procedures mandatory failed, and with newer, quieter aircraft, the likelihood of approval remains low.

Jason Haber, Carlsbad’s intergovernmental affairs director, expressed concerns that the lease could violate a conditional use permit issued by the city in 1980. He stated that the county’s actions reflect a shift toward higher-level operations at the airport, which he said does not demonstrate good stewardship. Haber added that the county needs to apply for an amendment to the permit before approving the lease, but county officials claimed no amendment is necessary since the return of commercial service is not considered an expansion of activities.

United will be the second airline to resume flights from Carlsbad after American Airlines did so less than a year ago. A pending lawsuit filed by the local group Citizens for a Friendly Airport, supported by the city, challenges the county’s approval of the American lease. The lawsuit alleges that the lease violates the California Environmental Quality Act due to issues like noise and air pollution, as well as allowing American to exceed a policy limiting aircraft to a maximum of 70 seats.

“You are not fooling anybody,” said Hope Nelson, a founding member of the Citizens group. “This is just the beginning.” Nelson warned that more commercial flights could come to the airport if the county proceeds with building a runway extension under its master plan.

Residents frequently complain about after-hours noise from aircraft and pilots flying low over neighborhoods instead of following recommended flight paths. Supervisor Jim Desmond, a retired Delta Airlines pilot, supported the lease, noting that American, United, and Delta all operated regular flights from Carlsbad in the mid-1990s.

Desmond acknowledged community concerns about noise but pointed out that aircraft are allowed to use the airport 24 hours a day. He emphasized that the county cannot prevent anyone from flying into or out of the airport.

Jamie Abbott, the county airports director, highlighted that more than 90% of airport capital costs are funded by the FAA, totaling $53 million for Palomar so far. Refusing the lease could be seen as discriminatory and might lead to the FAA canceling grants or requiring the return of funds, Abbott said.

The three-year lease approved on Wednesday starts March 1 and runs through February 28, 2029, with two optional one-year extensions. It is expected to generate $1,056,322 annually in revenue for the county, though the first year’s revenue will be reduced to $538,722 to cover startup costs.

United has announced plans to operate four daily flights from Palomar: two to San Francisco and two to Denver using Embraer 175 aircraft. The earliest flight will depart at 7:30 a.m., and the last flight will return at 9:50 p.m. American also uses the Embraer 175, which Desmond described as quieter than some business jets and previous turboprop aircraft.

The airport, which opened in 1959 at its current location at the northwest corner of El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road, was relocated from Del Mar to accommodate Interstate 5 construction. Carlsbad annexed the airport and surrounding property in 1978.