Santa Barbara Airport officials pursue private GPS approaches after FAA reduces procedure maintenance

The Santa Barbara Airport Commission heard July 10 that the Federal Aviation Administration is reducing the number of instrument approaches it maintains nationwide and that airport staff plan to pursue a consultant to design standalone GPS approaches for Runway 7 and Runway 25.

Airport Director Haster told the commission the FAA has stopped maintaining some GPS overlay approaches and that the airport has an opportunity to hire a consultant with a letter of agreement with the FAA to design new procedures. "They removed that approach. They're not even maintaining those approaches nationwide anymore," Haster said. He said the consultant would design approaches that could be flight-checked and published, and that the FAA might not take over maintenance immediately because of workload.

The commission was told the initial work would focus on feasibility and design only; any decision to move the procedures into routine publication or to hire ongoing monitoring and flight-check services would return to the commission for more consideration. Haster said the city attorney reviewed the contractor's agreement and provided minor recommendations; the contractor is reviewing those suggested changes.

Haster said the new approaches are intended to improve minimums for pilots and to better align instrument paths with existing noise-abatement corridors. "...they will be designed hopefully in such a way that mimics our noise abatement corridors," he said, adding that improved minima could reduce diversions and missed flights caused by the recent reductions in FAA-maintained procedures.

Haster also reported the FAA will update some approach lighting systems at the airport, with some nighttime closures of the main runway expected through approximately Sept. 9. He said the closures would not occur every night, would not include weekend work and should not affect Runway 15 operations.

Commissioners asked about coordination with Los Angeles Center and the airport's noise working group. Haster said the tower manager and a close contact, identified in the discussion as Jed and Erica, recently retired, which has temporarily stalled coordination. He said the consultant's scope would include outreach to LA Center as part of the design work, and staff remain hopeful coordination can occur this year.

The approach-design contract was not on the meeting agenda and no formal action was taken. Haster said staff will return to the commission with details and recommended next steps after the consultant and legal review advance.

Why it matters: Changes to instrument procedures affect airline and general-aviation access, can increase diversions and cancellations, and influence noise impacts on neighborhoods downwind of approach paths. The city's decision about whether to fund consultant design, flight checks, or publication steps would determine who bears ongoing maintenance responsibilities if the FAA does not take on the procedures immediately.

What happens next: Staff will bring back procurement and scope documents for the commission to consider; Haster said the city attorney's office and the contractor are still exchanging revisions to the draft agreement.