Santa Maria airport board chair highlights renovated runway, twice‑daily Phoenix service and new Customs building

Ignacio Nash Moreno, chairman of the Santa Maria Public Airport Board, used public comment time at the Oct. 21 council meeting to summarize recent progress at the airport and upcoming initiatives.

Moreno said the airport hosted a successful air fest over the weekend and that visiting pilots used a newly renovated runway and taxiway; he said the airport seeks to expand renovation work to cover the entire runway and taxiways in the coming year. He said the Plains of Fame Air Museum has poured a large concrete foundation for a future exhibit and that solar panels are being installed in the airport parking lot to offset electrical needs.

Moreno reported the Customs building is nearing completion, which he said will allow private international travel directly from Santa Maria, and he highlighted twice‑daily commercial flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor that provide single‑connection options to many destinations. He also said terminal updates and airport branding and hotel renovations are underway and that staff are coordinating an update to the airport‑specific plan to support future business‑park development and air tanker base pads used in wildfire response.

Mayor and council members thanked Moreno and the airport board for their work. No action was requested or taken; the comments were informational.