United Airlines Secures Approval for Regional Flights from Carlsbad Airport

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved a three-year lease agreement allowing United Airlines to commence regional flight operations from McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD) in Carlsbad, California, starting in March. The decision, passed with a 4-1 vote, grants United Airlines permission to operate twice-daily services using a 70-seat Embraer 175 aircraft to its major hubs at Denver International Airport (DEN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This marks a return for United Express, which previously served the airport until 2015. The lease includes two options for a one-year extension and a partial first-year fee waiver of $517,600. County officials anticipate approximately $1 million in annual revenue from the agreement, along with job creation and enhanced economic activity for the region. The county's airports director, Jamie Abbott, highlighted that the expanded service will also help secure critical ongoing financial commitment from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and offer North County passengers convenient one-stop connections to national and international markets via United's hub network. A voluntary noise abatement program will be implemented in conjunction with the new flight operations. Despite the economic projections, the decision faced significant opposition from local residents and city officials. Groups like Citizens for A Friendly Airport and Palomar Airport Action Network voiced concerns about increased noise, potential runway expansion, and the commercialization of an airport they believe should primarily serve general aviation. The City of Carlsbad expressed reservations about the county proceeding without amending the airport's conditional use permit and called for a delay, citing poor stewardship and a lack of community engagement, especially given a pending lawsuit related to American Airlines' recent lease approval at the same airport. Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer voted against the motion, advocating for a delay to address community noise concerns, which she noted were already heightened by American Airlines' new services. Conversely, Supervisor Jim Desmond, a former commercial airline pilot, emphasized that the board's role was to approve the ground lease, not to restrict flight operations. He pointed out that McClellan-Palomar Airport currently operates at only 30% capacity, making the agreement consistent with planned growth projections for the facility.