McClellan-Palomar Airport is soaring to new heights. Not only is the airport celebrating its golden anniversary this year, it also is undergoing a significant revitalization. The federally funded 487-acre airport will officially turn 50 on March 20. McClellan-Palomar Airport is one of eight airports and airparks in the County of San Diego airport system. With 215,847 takeoffs and landings in 2007 by private planes, corporate jets and commuter airline flights, McClellan-Palomar is one of the busiest single-runway airports in the country. There are 344 aircraft based at the airport, 83 of which are jets or jet props. [the_ad id=”152939″] Considerable improvements have been completed to modernize the airport, including replacing five outdated buildings with a new, 18,000-square-foot terminal and constructing new parking lots. Other improvements underway include upgrading an existing taxiway, constructing a jet blast fence and completing runway and drainage improvements. The grand opening of the terminal and aircraft ramp facility is scheduled for Jan. 29. In the spring, the terminal will feature the Landings, a new restaurant that will include indoor and outdoor seating with an airside view behind a full noise attenuating Plexiglas wall. The terminal’s features include a spacious lobby, boarding lounge areas and the latest in modern airport technology, including Wi-Fi service throughout the airport, high-tech passenger and baggage screening areas and the latest advancements in security. The terminal was built with consideration of energy and environmental design criteria in mind, making it efficient to operate and maintain. “I appreciate the tremendous work by our Airport Director Peter Drinkwater and his staff,” said County Supervisor Bill Horn. “The new McClellan-Palomar Airport positions North County to be at the forefront for improved commercial and charter air services for our regional airport needs.” McClellan-Palomar Airport, one of only two commercial airports in the county, served approximately 55,000 commercial passengers in 2007. Its new terminal serves Sky West, providing seven flights daily to Los Angeles, and Vision Air, providing service twice weekly to Laughlin, Nevada. Over the past five years, there has been more than $40 million in public investment in the airport from FAA grants and airport earnings. None of the county’s general fund tax money was used to pay for any airport improvements or operations. Private investors have spent $90 million in new hangars and facilities, replacing old buildings with state-of-the-art facilities for storing all sizes of aircraft, including the most sophisticated corporate jets. Last January, user fee customs service was introduced at the airport, enabling aircraft coming from foreign destinations to land at McClellan-Palomar. Since opening, more than 250 aircraft have cleared customs there. The airport now has true global reach. Flights from Asia, Mexico and other international locales have benefited from its customs service, which allows planes bound for North County to fly directly into Carlsbad, rather than first stopping at Brown Field. This service enables local area corporations and private pilots to save gas, time and money. Additionally, fewer flights from Brown Field to Carlsbad means aircraft fly at higher altitudes longer, creating less noise for local residents. “McClellan-Palomar Airport has a proud history,” said County Airports Director Peter Drinkwater. “It provides an important link between North County businesses and economic vitality.” A look back During the 1920s, the U.S. Navy established San Dieguito Field, an emergency landing field in the San Dieguito River Valley, located east and west of Interstate 5. The airport included a 3,500-square-foot runway. In 1941, the Navy acquired an extra 80.4 acres for lighter-than-air aircraft, also known as blimps. In 1947, the Navy quitclaimed the 80.4 acres to the county of San Diego and the field was used as civilian airport until 1959, when it was transferred to the state as part of the I-5 right-of-way. The Del Mar facility was replaced with Palomar Airport, which opened March 20, 1959. In 1982, the airport was renamed McClellan-Palomar Airport in honor of the late aviator Gerald C. McClellan, a long-time North County civic leader who previously served as the president of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.