by Jason Wells
May 05, 2006
A supplemental airport in North County failed to muster enough support for further review by airport officials in a largely symbolic discussion at a May 1 meeting.
The board for the San Diego Regional Airport Authority voted 6-3 against a recommendation to do a more in-depth analysis on a single-runway airport just north of Escondido, about 40 miles from downtown San Diego. The scenario would keep Lindbergh Field open as the primary airport after undergoing significant upgrades meant to maximize capacity.
“It’s just as clear as a bell that you can’t put an airport that far from downtown,” said board member William D. Lynch.
The board nixed the concept in February after a broad market feasibility study found that the supplementary airport would have a difficult time competing with airports serving the Los Angeles area. Additionally, low passenger use would make it impractical to pay for, and extremely high per-passenger costs would drive airlines away.
