From Dom Betro, Palomar Airport Action Network —
The hearing was held on April 4, 2025.
The decision by Judge Pollack to not grant injunctive action to stop the American Airlines flights in and out of Palomar Airport was not unexpected. Unfortunately the county’s deceit- ful strategy of “asking for forgiveness vs per- mission” worked. By “bum rushing” implementation of these flights, and citing questionable economic impact with no details if the flights were to be halted, the Judge was left no other option.
It was encouraging that the Judge referred to the County and American Airlines actions as being subject to a “blurry” interpretation of the City of Carlsbad Conditional Use Permit authority vs any FAA reviews. The judge further indicated that the C4fa suit has merit, refuting the County and American Airline legal brief contention that it did not. Judge Pollack also emphatically indicated that this decision on the injunction in no way is indicative of how he may ultimately decide in this matter.
The C4fa suit is currently scheduled to be heard on November 4, 2025.
AA Injunction Decision
Dear C4FA Friends,
We wanted to share some updates from our recent court hearing. While the injunction outcome wasn’t in our favor, it was one we anticipated. We’re truly in a David vs. Goliath situation, facing not one but two Goliaths!
However, we had some significant wins that the media seemed to overlook:
- Federal Pre-Emption – The judge didn’t buy the County’s and AA’s argument that federal law pre-empts the City of Carlsbad’s local control and land use authority.
- Case Merit and Standing – The judge also didn’t buy AA’s and the County’s argument that our law- suit lacked merit and C4FA lacked standing, even mentioning that this will be a close case. Hearing dates were put on the Court calendar for Nov 2025.
We knew this would be a tough battle—big money and arrogance versus local control and the rights of residents. The Judge also clarified that his decision on the injunction doesn’t hint at how he’ll rule in the lawsuit.
Our team came prepared with facts and evidence. Interestingly, AA wouldn’t disclose their financials to show if this route is even profitable. The County remained silent, letting AA do all the talking.
Moreover, there were moments when the County and AA were less than truthful under oath. Rest assured, C4FA has the evidence, which we’ll present at trial. Remember, a half-truth is not the truth, and a lie of omission is still a lie.
Thank you all for your incredible generosity and support. We still need your donations. Every dol- lar counts. This is a marathon, and we’re just getting started. C4FA is committed to seeing this through to the end.
Questions? Please email us at [email protected].
Warmly,
Your Friends and Neighbors at C4FA
BTW – A huge THANK YOU to all who have donated. We can’t do this without you. We are a 100% Volunteer Organization.
