San Diego County weighs reopening Agua Caliente Airport after 2025 closure

San Diego County supervisors took up a proposal Wednesday that could return Agua Caliente Airport to service. The county stopped running the single-runway field in 2025. As of Thursday morning, no final vote or action had been posted in the county's meeting record.

Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond put the proposal forward. It directs county airport staff to seek input from aviation organisations, establish what repairs are required, and review funding and operating choices.

The airport is owned by the state and lies roughly 77 miles east of downtown San Diego. County government has run it under an arrangement with California that dates back many years. County officials estimate that fixing the field's existing deficiencies would cost about $2 million to $3 million, before permitting, environmental review and ongoing maintenance are counted.

California pulled the airport's operating permit in April 2025, after the county asked for the closure, citing maintenance costs and a shortage of state money. County documents show Agua Caliente recorded more than 28,000 takeoffs and landings between 2017 and 2023, with annual operations typically between 3,300 and 4,400.

Beyond recreational flying, county records describe the field as an emergency landing site and note its role in wildfire response, medical evacuation, military activity and specialised flight training. The proposal asks for views from groups including AOPA, the Recreational Aviation Foundation, local pilot organisations, airport advisory committees and fixed-base operators.

The Gillespie Field Development Council has backed the idea. In a May recommendation, the council urged supervisors to approve full reconstruction of the runway, the aircraft run-up area and the parking areas.