Resident says Modesto Airport can host commercial flights without runway expansion

At the Jan. 14 Modesto City Council meeting, resident Kevin McClarty urged the council to pursue commercial airline service at Modesto’s airport without widening or lengthening the runway.

McClarty told the council the airport’s runway is “a little over 5,000 feet long” and listed several regional aircraft he said could operate from Modesto, including the Embraer ERJ‑135 (about 37 seats), the ERJ‑145 (about 50 seats), ATR‑42 and ATR‑72 turboprops, the Dash 8‑200, and smaller narrow‑body jets such as the Airbus A220‑100 and Boeing 737‑600 in more constrained operations. “We can run airline service out of Modesto without having to expand the airfield,” McClarty said, adding that doing so would avoid eminent‑domain acquisitions of surrounding properties and major capital spending.

Why it matters: Whether Modesto can attract scheduled commercial service affects economic development, air connectivity and possible capital projects at Harry Sham Field (Modesto City–County Airport). McClarty urged staff to consider aircraft types that fit the existing runway envelope instead of assuming expansion is required.

What the council did: The speaker offered to submit technical materials to staff; the transcript records the mayor inviting him to share the paper, but the council did not take formal action or direct a staff study during the Jan. 14 meeting.

Direct quote from the speaker: “It is true that the Modesto landing strip is not long enough for, some of the larger aircraft, but we don't have to accommodate those aircraft in order to have airline service,” McClarty said.