CARLSBAD — A local group filed a lawsuit on Jan. 27 against the County of San Diego, alleging that officials violated state environmental laws when allowing American Airlines to offer daily commercial flights out of McClellan-Palomar Airport.
The lawsuit, filed by Citizens for a Friendly Airport, challenges the Jan. 8 decision by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to approve a two-year lease agreement with American Airlines.
The deal allows American Airlines’ regional subsidiary Envoy Air to operate daily flights between Carlsbad and Phoenix starting Feb. 13 using 76-seat Embraer 175 regional jets under the American Eagle brand.
The group alleges that the county ignored environmental risks, particularly related to noise, air quality and traffic congestion and failed to conduct a thorough environmental review before approving the project.
Specifically, the legal filing claims the project has potential adverse environmental impacts that were not properly evaluated.
“The project’s significant direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse impacts on the environment give rise to Respondent’s legal obligation to prepare an environmental impact report specifically for the project,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit further alleges that the county did not allow enough public input and violated existing land-use rules, including the airport’s conditional use permit with the city of Carlsbad.
The lawsuit requests an order prohibiting the county and American Airlines from proceeding with any aspect of the lease deal until after both parties fully comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other applicable laws.
Cory Briggs, the attorney representing Citizens for a Friendly Airport, could not be reached for comment.
During the Jan. 8 meeting, Jamie Abbott, the county’s director of airports, said failure to approve the lease could jeopardize the county’s access to Federal Aviation Administration funding, totaling over $123 million for Palomar Airport since 1999.
“If the board chooses not to approve the lease agreement with American Airlines, it poses a risk of the county losing FAA grant funding for current and future capital projects,” Abbott said.
The meeting drew extensive public input, with 28 speakers addressing the board and over 1,100 e-comments submitted. Supporters of the lease highlighted the economic benefits and reduced traffic to San Diego International Airport, while opponents raised concerns about noise, environmental impacts and safety.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents District 3, which includes McClellan-Palomar Airport, said the county had little choice but to approve the lease due to pressure from the FAA.
“I feel like we have a gun to our head, with the FAA saying, ‘Take this deal, or we’re going to take … somewhere between $5 million and $150 million of your money and sue you,’” Lawson-Remer said during Jan. 8 the meeting.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, whose district includes areas under the airport’s flight path, could not be reached for comment. A representative for Lawson-Remer said her office could not comment on pending litigation.
As of the lawsuit’s filing date, neither San Diego County nor American Airlines has publicly responded to the allegations.
