Update – PAAC Meeting and FAA Palomar Airport Webinar

FebFeb/ThuThu/2026202620262026

From: PalomarAirportActionNetwork <[email protected]>

Please see below info regarding the Palomar Airport FAA-County Webinar of 1/22/26. …..which as expected was extremely disappointing.

The Preamble is provided for your consideration of themes to strike if communicating with Electeds, Media, community leaders, interested parties, neighbors, etc.

The C4FA Notice, provides a synopsis of some of the glaring “take aways” from the Webinar. The saga continues……dom

                                                                                         Preamble for Introduction Purposes

Two years ago, Carlsbad Mayor Blackburn kicked off the FAA roundtable effort, however, what he so genuinely asked for was not delivered by the County or the FAA.  The initial request was for an in person discussion with all the stakeholders invited to act as active participants: residents, pilots, the City, the FAA, and the County, for what we all hoped to be a reasonable give and take to help Palomar Airport fit more politely and respectfully in Carlsbad and our North County region.  Two years later, that’s not what we got.  A summary of the Webinar from our perspective is listed in the C4FA notice below.

We got a virtual panel that excluded the City of Carlsbad, Congressman Levin (who asked to be included), and resident representation.   At times the tone of the panel felt dismissive, with resident perspectives minimized rather than addressed through thoughtful discussion.  Residents were seeking transparency, respect, and substantive responses to legitimate questions.  Unfortunately, the webinar did not reflect a willingness by the FAA or the County to engage in open dialogue or seriously consider community input.  They completely ignored Carlsbad and Carlsbad’s local authority.  

FAA comments made very clear that Palomar’s VNAP will remain voluntary.  The FAA stated that since Congress removed the power to regulate flight paths and quiet hours from local control and gave it to the FAA  in 1990, not a single airport has successfully been granted mandatory quiet hours or mandatory flight paths.  36 years of trying by communities across the country and 36 years of refusals by the FAA.  The law is written so vaguely and broadly, and the FAA given so much authority,  it’s impossible for any community to pass the threshold, and to us, that appears to be by design. 

It also became clear that the City of Carlsbad, and North County cities and residents, are the last remaining defense for the quality of life of Carlsbad and North County, when it comes to living with Palomar Airport.  The County is going full steam ahead with their commercial airline and airport expansion plans, residents and the City be damned.  The County Airport director bluntly stated that the County’s plan is to establish Palomar as a D-III airport, just like Orange County’s John Wayne.

We hope you will support Carlsbad’s local control of Palomar Airport and Carlsbad/North County residents……and reach out to other like minded residents concerned for the healthy and safety threats of an expanded Palomar airport.

Vickey Syage, C4FA          Dom Betro, PAAN

Here it is for those interested….check out minutes 51-53 to hear the County Airport director state clearly and directly that the intent of the County is to have Palomar Airport become a DIII airport….which is the category of John Wayne Airport…..dom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuZgbRxP12s

Dear C4FA Friends,

Wow! What a couple of weeks! Between the first PAAC meeting of 2026 and the long-awaited FAA Palomar Airport Webinar, there’s a lot to unpack.

PAAC Meeting

To call the PAAC meeting disappointing is putting it mildly. The biggest shock? The PAAC voted to exempt themselves from County and State recusal policies, meaning members can now vote on issues even if they stand to gain financially, with County legal counsel’s approval. It’s a new low for ethical standards.

The vote passed 4–2, with three members absent. A big thank-you to the two Carlsbad representatives who stood up for ethics and voted to keep recusal rules in place.

FAA Palomar Airport Webinar

After two years of waiting and strong efforts by the City of Carlsbad, Councilwoman Acosta, and Congressman Levin’s office, the FAA and County hijacked the plans for a roundtable discussion and turned it into a self-serving PR piece rather than a true community forum.

Special thanks to Congressman Levin’s office for ensuring community questions were even submitted, without which, residents wouldn’t have had any voice at all.

We’ll dive deeper into everything discussed in upcoming emails, but here are the main takeaways.

Key Points

  • Residents come last. Quality-of-life concerns were brushed aside.
  • Carlsbad’s local control ignored. The City’s court-granted authority over airport use wasn’t acknowledged in either the presentation or the Q&A.
  • VNAP won’t be mandatory. Since 1990, no airport has been granted new mandatory quiet hours or flight paths. Airports that had them before 1990 like San Diego, John Wayne, and Long Beach were allowed to keep them.
  • Pilot decisions override airport limitations.  Despite assurances, the FAA confirmed that the pilot decides where and how to land, even for larger jets not rated for small airports like Palomar.
  • The County confirmed that they are moving ahead with their airport expansion plans, despite public assurances that the airport will remain the same. Think John Wayne South.

Bottom line:
It’s clear that the only path forward for meaningful change will be through the courts and the ballot box. Residents need to continue to voice their concerns and remain engaged. Make your voice heard. Sign the petition.

If you have any questions, reach out to us anytime at [email protected]

We’re a 100% volunteer group, and we’re still fundraising for our pending lawsuits against the County over the American Airlines and United Airlines contracts. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Thank you for standing with us.

Until next time,
Your Friends and Neighbors at C4FA

  Please share this with friends and neighbors! 

 

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