bizSanDiego the business of san diego county

Palomar Airport Spreads its Wings posted on October 15, 2006

Multi-million dollar redevelopment projects currently underway will modernize the facilities of one of the busiest single runway airports in the nation.

When the McClellan-Palomar Airport first opened its doors in the late 1950’s, San Diego’s North County gained a gateway to the rest of the world.Now, after half a century of providing service for passengers, general aviation enthusiasts, corporations, and charter companies, the airport is undergoing a long-awaited redevelopment to modernize obsolete facilities, expand its range of travel options, and offer improved service for the traveling public.

“We aren’t expanding beyond the physical boundaries of the airport,” explains Olivier Brackett, Assistant Airport Manager at Palomar. “Instead, we are tearing down old, outdated buildings and replacing them with state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance our customers’ experience by providing improved services and amenities.”

Some of these improvements include a brand new 18,000 square foot terminal complete with a restaurant, direct access to enhanced public parking, and a customs station that will allow international travel at the airport. The airport administration has also recently completed construction of a stormwater cleaning system and 2,000 feet of ramp storage space for 130 small aircraft.All totaled, these improvements will cost nearly $100 million, only roughly $20 million of which will come from the public sector. The Fixed Base Operators (FBOs) that lease airport property are responsible for the remaining cost.

Two FBOs, Premier Jet and Jet Source, have already completed construction and opened beautiful new offices with 149,000 square feet of hangars available for larger planes used by charter companies and corporations. Magellan Aviation also plans to begin its redevelopment in the near future, housing smaller planes for general aviation pilots in addition to larger corporate planes.

Since the airport is already functioning near maximum capacity, County Director of Airports Pete Drinkwater describes the redevelopment’s primary goal as “improving the operations, safety, and efficiency of the airport.” Still, some in the aviation community have criticized the redevelopment for emphasizing charter companies and corporate planes over individual pilots, who now face increasing costs due to the construction of the newer, more expensive facilities.

Mike Gollhofer, a small plane owner and corporate pilot currently located at Palomar Airport, views the current construction with a mixture of nostalgia and excitement. “The redevelopment will allow Palomar to expand its involvement in corporate aviation,” he says. “Pilots around the country know Palomar, and we can expect to see a huge boost in business because of the new facilities. But as an enthusiast, I will miss the old, tight-knit social network of pilots who used to call Palomar their home.”

Now, a new generation of pilots will call McClellan-Palomar Airport’s state-of-the-art facilities their home, ushering in a modern era of safe, efficient, and comfortable travel for business executives and the general public alike.