Supervisors declare state of emergency at Imperial County Airport to address safety and certification risks

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors on April 22 declared a state of emergency for the Imperial County Airport after staff reported FAA findings that “directly compromise airport operational safety” and could jeopardize federal certification, commercial air service and related funding.

Gil (county staff) outlined roughly five pages of airport deficiencies identified by the FAA and said the conditions required immediate action to protect public safety and the county’s ability to maintain commercial service. The county argued the situation is not routine maintenance but a systemic condition that warrants emergency authority to cut through procurement red tape and deploy resources quickly.

Supervisor Escobar proposed a subcommittee to oversee airport recovery and nominated Supervisor Peggy Price (district where the airport is located) and Supervisor Ryan Kelly to serve; the board approved the subcommittee. Supervisors emphasized restoring certification, exploring revenue and development opportunities to support maintenance and aesthetic improvements, and meeting with carriers to address service reliability concerns raised by board members.

Supervisor Kelly moved approval of the emergency declaration and Supervisor Escobar seconded; the motion carried. Staff said the declaration will enable immediate corrective work and directed staff to coordinate with FAA, carriers and local stakeholders; the board asked for ongoing updates and asked staff to arrange meetings with commercial carriers about service reliability.