The Ventura County Department of Airports will be hosting a Camarillo Airport – Airport Layout Plan Community Q&A Forum on Tuesday, February 20th, at 6 p.m., at the Ventura County Office of Education located at 5100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. This meeting will offer a presentation from Department of Airports’ staff and consultants, with a particular focus on addressing frequently asked questions and offering guests the opportunity to ask their own questions and have them answered in front of all in attendance.
As we prepare for this community meeting, the Department of Airports would like to share just a few points of discussion. Please note that the items below represent only a portion of what will be covered at the meeting. We understand the concerns many of our neighbors have and we look forward to the opportunity to address those concerns through transparent and respectful dialogue at the meeting.
- While the February 20th meeting is designed to cover the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for Camarillo Airport, Airports staff will cover questions related to both the Airport Layout Plan and the Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study. However, the primary focus of this meeting will remain on the ALP. Both studies are currently in the works but are being conducted separately. The Airport Layout Plan assumes no changes to the current role of Camarillo Airport and serves as a data-driven preview of what the next 5-10 years may look like for Camarillo Airport.The Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study for Camarillo Airport, a study which is separately being conducted at Oxnard Airport, takes a deep dive in the impacts of noise on the community, where things stand, and what measures can be taken moving forward. Additional community meetings for the Part 150 studies for both Camarillo and Oxnard airports will be scheduled in May. We will share more information once it becomes available.
2. Of great importance is emphasizing the following:
- No cargo service (including Amazon) will come to Camarillo Airport.
- No scheduled airline service will come to Camarillo Airport.
- The runway will NOT be lengthened.
- The Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City of Camarillo and Department of Airports will remain in place and unchanged.
3. A commonly asked question we receive is can the Department of Airports just say no to more aircraft activity and/or jet activity?
The short answer is no, with several reasons why. When the County of Ventura took ownership of Camarillo Airport, formerly the Oxnard Air Force Base, from the United States Government, it did so with the agreement that it would operate as a general aviation airport that provides equal access to all United States citizens. Additionally, it is important to note that air space, regardless of obligations or agreements from the County, is federally regulated. Federal grant assurances and the Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) of 1990 also significantly limits changes the County can make to airport operations. More information on this topic will be discussed at the meeting.
4. So what can we do to help mitigate noise concerns?
As part of the Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study for Camarillo Airport, the Department of Airports will explore/analyze the feasibility of any changes to flight paths. Additionally, the Department of Airports is already actively working on incorporating jet activity into the Fly Friendly VC program with ongoing discussions with flight operators. This includes an emphasis on the Joint Powers Agreement, which allows arrivals 24 hours a day but does not allow departures from 12 a.m. – 5 a.m. daily. Our goal is to work with pilots to voluntarily extend those hours and to minimize ALL flight activity between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Fly Friendly VC is a constantly evolving program, and Department of Airports is prepared to pivot when needed to ensure improvements to quality of life for those on the ground and in the air.
We understand the desire for immediate action, and while the studies and changes to current operations do take time, we extend to you our commitment to continued progress.