DATE:
May 20, 2026
07
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
MCCLELLAN-PALOMAR AIRPORT - APPROVE LEASE WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES AND RELATED CEQA FINDING (DISTRICTS: 3 AND 5)
Body
OVERVIEW
McClellan-Palomar Airport (Palomar Airport), owned and operated by the County of San Diego's Department of Public Works (DPW) Airports Division (Airports), serves as a critical link in the region's transportation network and economic infrastructure. It is one of seven airports operated by DPW, using funding from the Airport's self-sustaining maintenance and operations Airport Enterprise Fund (AEF), at no cost to the General Fund. This item is a proposed new lease with American Airlines (American) for limited commercial aviation service at Palomar Airport beginning on May 7, 2026. The airport does not require any facilities changs to accommodate the additional flights.
In 2023, American applied for a Commercial Airline Facilities Lease and Operations Agreement to operate four flights per day at Palomar Airport: two departures and two arrivals. American is now proposing to add two new round trip flights per day, resulting in a total of eight flights per day, four departures and four arrivals. This proposed action requires a change in lease terms. Their current two-year lease was approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on January 8, 2025 (4), with an expiration of February 12, 2027. If the Board approves today's recommendations, American's existing lease will be terminated, and a new lease will be awarded providing for up to eight flights per day.
American is proposing scheduled commercial air service at Palomar Airport with new flights beginning in early May with up to four departures and four arrivals per day from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) on an Embraer 175 (EMB 175) aircraft. This destination serves as an American hub, offering passengers from North County convenient, one-stop connections to national and international markets. This lease ...
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