OXNARD : Repaired Runway to Reopen Today
An American Eagle commuter flight is scheduled to land this morning at Oxnard Airport, becoming the first commercial flight to use the runway since it was closed 10 days for repaving.
The $1.7-million refurbishment was completed before a July 15 deadline set by federal aviation officials, who ordered the repairs after the 6,000-foot runway failed a safety inspection.
During the round-the-clock repairs by S. P. Milling Co., the runway’s old surface was ground up and mixed with concrete to form a more durable foundation, county airport administrator Marshall MacKinen said.
The foundation was then paved with a 4-inch layer of asphalt, he said.
American Eagle suspended flights from Ventura County while the repairs were under way, MacKinen said. Air freight companies that use the airport shifted their operations to Camarillo Airport, as did private small-craft pilots.
Helicopter operations were not affected.
The Federal Aviation Administration paid for 90% of the repaving, with Ventura County picking up the rest, MacKinen said.
The runway refurbishment is the first step in a series of renovations planned for the Oxnard Airport that should be completed by August, MacKinen said. “We’re going to spruce it up and make it look better,” MacKinen. The airport is the only one in the county with commercial flights.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
