Airport commission recommends City Council approve $5.1 million PFC application to reimburse projects, buy firefighting truck

The Santa Barbara Airport Commission on Feb. 13 voted unanimously to recommend the Santa Barbara City Council approve a Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) application that would allow the airport to use $5,100,000 in PFC funds the airport has already collected.

Airport business manager Jonathan Abad told commissioners the application would allocate $3,600,000 to reimburse the airport’s local share of previously funded Airport Improvement Program (AIP) projects (including a small consultant fee) and $1,500,000 to purchase a new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) truck. "Approving this application is essential to maintaining financial stability, funding key infrastructure projects, and reducing future debt reliance," Abad said.

What a PFC is: Abad explained that a PFC is a fee (currently $4.50 per departing passenger) collected by airlines at ticket purchase and remitted to the airport. The airport currently collects roughly $2,500,000 in PFC revenue annually; just under $1,000,000 of that is already committed to debt service on the terminal built 15 years ago as part of an earlier approved PFC obligation. Abad said that refinancing and passenger growth created a multi‑year surplus of about $6,800,000 and that the airport is applying to use $5,100,000 of that surplus now.

Why the ARFF truck: Abad said the airport’s classification changed with passenger growth, creating a need for a higher‑capability ARFF truck. Purchasing the truck with PFC funds would free federal AIP funds for other future projects, he said.

Process and timeline: Abad described the approval steps remaining after the commission’s recommendation. The airport has an airline consultation meeting scheduled for March 19; airlines would have 30 days to certify the application. After airline certification, the airport plans to submit the application to the Federal Aviation Administration; Abad said FAA review typically takes up to 30 days and the airport is targeting late May for final FAA approval and notification to the airlines.

Commission action: A commissioner moved to approve the application and another commissioner seconded; the commission voted unanimous consent with all present commissioners saying "Aye." There were no recorded votes against or abstentions on the motion.

Next steps: With the commission’s recommendation, airport staff will request City Council approval and proceed with the airline consultation and FAA filing schedule if the council approves the application.