Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport Expansion Study Approved

This Wednesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to study the feasibility of expanding Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar airport. The study will look at options for extending the airport’s runway by 800 and 900 feet. The cost to extend the runway and complete other associated airport improvements is estimated to cost between $80 and $104 million.

“This is a big huge commercial driver and we’re planning an airport for the next 50 years, if not 100 years,” said County Supervisor Bill Horn. “It’s no longer a little small airport that you can fly in and out of with your Cessna 210.”
 

Wednesday’s approval kicks off the environmental review of the airport expansion. That review is expected to take at least six months. Following the review, airport officials will need final approval from the County Board of Supervisors before construction could start. Although the airport is in the City of Carlsbad, the County of San Diego has authority and control to approve any expansion projects.