Airport About To Come Under Control Of The City, Possibly Lose FAA Grants

California's Palo Alto airport (KPAO) is facing an uncertain future, but it is not for a lack of activity at the airport.

The airport will soon be shifting from being an entity of Santa Clara County to one of the City of Palo Alto, and that makes Palo Alto Airport Association vice president Bob Lenox "cautiously optimistic" about the airport's future.

Lenox said the airport has long been the "stepchild" of the county, according to a report on the Palo Alto Online News. He cites a lawsuit between the South County airport, which is also operated by the county, and Garlic City Skydivers as an example of the county's attitude about the airport. The suit could cost the airport a $150,000 AIP grant, which Lenox said is "sorely needed" for repairs at the airport, because it puts the county out of compliance with the FAA's requirements for such a grant.

Though the county eventually dropped the lawsuit, it did so far past the deadline for the grant. Lenox said he hopes the FAA will make an exception for Palo Alto airport because of what he described as an "acute need" for the money.

Lenox said that transferring control from the county to the city would be a financial boon to the city government as it takes over leases and other contracts from the county.

FMI: www.cityofpaloalto.org, www.sccgov.org