In Praise of Oxnard Airport
Re “Oxnard Airport Incompatible,” Ventura County letters, Feb. 20.
Did anyone notice how important and useful Oxnard Airport was after the tragic Alaska Airline crash?
The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, crash victims’ relatives, news media and insurance companies all used our valuable yet much maligned airport. It was a wake-up call to the importance of the airport to all of the county.
This whining about Oxnard Airport not being compatible with the community is an issue being raised by certain airport neighbors who are misinformed and ignorant about the uses and usefulness of this facility.
The airport has been here 50 years. Airport operations are one-third of what they were 20 years ago. So what’s the problem? Yes, there is a strong pro-airport constituency in Oxnard. An economic study 12 years ago reported that Oxnard Airport contributed $38 million a year to the local economy. If you start restricting the airport you restrict the money coming into the community.
As Oxnard dumps more houses on its farmland and open space, additional cars mean gridlock and transportation problems. The airport holds a solution. The city should embrace the airport for the good of the future of Oxnard. The county should protect the airport for the good of all county residents and their future quality of life.
DAVID OUSLEY
Oxnard
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