Airport type Public Elevation AMSL 331 ft / 101 m 4,897 1,493 Elevation 101 m | Serves North San Diego County 6/24 4,897 Code CLD Phone +1 760-431-4646 | |
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Website www.sdcounty.ca.gov/.../palomar.html | ||
McClellan–Palomar Airport (Palomar Airport) (IATA: CLD, ICAO: KCRQ, FAA LID: CRQ) is a public airport three miles (5 km) southeast of Carlsbad in San Diego County, California. It is owned by the County of San Diego. The airport is used for general aviation. In March 2013 the airport was the fourth-busiest single runway airport in the United States.
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Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but McClellan–Palomar Airport is CRQ to the FAA and CLD to the IATA. The ICAO identifier is KCRQ.
The airport is named for Gerald McClellan, an aviator and civic leader in San Diego's North County area.
Facilities
McClellan–Palomar Airport covers 466 acres (189 ha) and has one asphalt runway, 6/24, 4,897 ft × 150 ft (1,493 m × 46 m). The airport also has one asphalt helipad that is 100 by 100 feet (30 x 30 m).
In 2008 the airport had 192,960 aircraft operations, an average of 529 per day: 89% general aviation, 7% air taxi, 3% scheduled commercial and 1% military. 325 aircraft are based at this airport: 61% single-engine, 24% jet, 11% multi-engine and 4% helicopter.
It opened a $24 million airline terminal on January 29, 2009. As of October 26, 2010 Palomar Airport's long term parking rates (30 day max) increased to $5 a day (from $3 per day).
Current and future service
As of late 2015, no major, regional or commuter airlines serve the airport with scheduled passenger flights. Bookable flights by the public must be through charter and air taxi companies.
Surf Air is a charter airline company operating at Palomar; the startup offers unlimited flights for a fixed rate to selected California cities and Las Vegas. The company began its first flights in 2013 and expanded to San Diego by late 2014
JetsuiteX announced their new charter flight services to Burbank and San Jose starting October 17, 2016. However; due to low customer demand, the scheduled services to and from Carlsbad airport have been canceled.
Past airline service
The airport was previously served by United Express with flights operated by SkyWest Airlines. In May 2015, United Express ended service to the airport due to the phaseout of their Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft as SkyWest then transitioned to all regional jet fleet with these aircraft requiring a runway longer than the airport's minimal runway length.
Other airline service into the airport in the past included American Eagle operated by Wings West Airlines and United Express operated by WestAir Airlines with both commuter air carriers flying to Los Angeles (LAX) as well as America West Express (later US Airways Express) operating nonstop to Phoenix–Sky Harbor. In 1977, Scenic Airlines was flying Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner propjets nonstop to Palm Springs with direct one stop service to both Las Vegas and Phoenix. In 1995 American Eagle and United Express were operating a combined total of twelve nonstop services a day to LAX with both airlines flying British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 commuter propjets on the route. In 1999, Mesa Airlines was operating the America West Express nonstop service to Phoenix with three flights a day with de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8 turboprops. Imperial Airlines also served McClellan-Palomar and was based at the airport during the 1980s. Air Resorts operated flights from the airport as well during the 1980s. Golden West Airlines also operated service during the 1970s from the airport with de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter commuter aircraft. All of the airlines that previously served Carlsbad operated either turboprop or prop aircraft on their services into the airport.
The airport was planned to be the headquarters for California Pacific Airlines, which proposed to begin flights on six routes from the airport. The planned destinations were Sacramento, California; San Jose, California; Oakland, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico using a 70-seat Embraer 170 jet aircraft. Start up of operations now appears to be unlikely as the Embraer 170 aircraft has been returned to its lessor. As of April 2015, Carlsbad airport city manager considers the airline "defunct".
BizAir Shuttle, a public charter airline with flights operated by Ultimate Air Shuttle utilizing Dornier 328JET aircraft, briefly operated scheduled service from McClellan–Palomar to Los Angeles International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas during the summer of 2015. Flights were abruptly halted on August 30, 2015.