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Residents, advocates urge Carlsbad to defend local control of Palomar Airport as county signs commercial contracts
Summary
Residents and advocacy groups told the City Council they filed additional litigation and urged the city to enforce local-control rulings after San Diego County signed new commercial-airline contracts at Palomar Airport; speakers requested the city pursue legal remedies and document flight-path impacts on neighborhoods.
Vicky Syed, president of Citizens for Friendly Airport, told the Carlsbad City Council that her group and others have filed a second lawsuit challenging the county’s contracts that bring major commercial airlines to Palomar Airport, arguing the contracts violate a 2021 court judgment affirming Carlsbad’s local control over airport use. “When the county agreed to annexation, it gave up control of airport use,” Syed said, and she described the county’s deals with American and United Airlines as inconsistent with Palomar’s general-aviation status.
Resident Frank Sung said residents near Poinsettia Park are experiencing frequent low-altitude flights and noise, and urged the city to exercise “every option” to maintain local control and to stand with impacted neighborhoods. “We will be coming back to you once we get that data,” Sung said, referring to planned documentation of flight paths, hours of operation and altitudes.
Hope Nelson, another community activist, urged the council to consider further legal or policy responses after the county signed a second contract with United Airlines while litigation over American Airlines remains active. “Doing nothing would make the court’s 2021 order meaningless,” she said, and activists reported filing a fourth lawsuit related to the airport.
Why it matters: Speakers said the shift to Part 121 mainline airline service could change the nature of Palomar Airport from general aviation to commercial service, bringing louder, larger jets and different operational rules. Multiple residents asked the council to prioritize local control, document impacts, and pursue remedies so prior court rulings are meaningful.
What council did: The council did not take a formal vote on a specific airport ordinance during this meeting. Mayor Blackburn and other council members acknowledged the comments and noted staff and the city’s legislative subcommittee track state and regional issues; Councilmembers encouraged residents to bring documented data about flight paths to staff and the legislative subcommittee.
Next steps: Citizens’ groups said they will continue litigation and return with documented flight-path data; the council’s legislative subcommittee (which meets monthly) was identified as a formal venue for tracking state and regional airport-related bills and for raising city policy positions.
