AN DIEGO — The legal saga over commercial service at McClellan-Palomar Airport entered another complicated chapter on Friday as the next hearing is scheduled for April 16, 2027.
At the center of Friday’s case management conference were three lawsuits, five entities and six attorneys, all with different priorities, and San Diego County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pollack. The judge requested the attorneys find a way to streamline the three cases into one legal action.
The litigation centers on a trio of lawsuits from Carlsbad-based Citizens for a Friendly Airport against San Diego County and American and United Airlines.
Currently, C4FA has two lawsuits against the county and American and one against United. The suits are similar in scope, as C4FA is challenging the conditional use permit (CUP) requirement for the county, violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the violation of a prior court judgment. The county owns McClellan-Palomar Airport.
However, the county, along with the two airlines, contends their lease agreements and operations are legal under federal law,
