Cal State San Marcos will unveil research this week that examines the feasibility of building a new international airport on the Camp Pendleton Marine base.
Glen Brodowsky, a marketing professor at Cal State San Marcos, said three study projects have looked at airport options for the region and the latest one explores the economic impact of a new international airport on Camp Pendleton.
“In no way does this replace, but rather augments the air travel opportunities in the region,” he said. “So they have direct flights to Asia, Latin America and Europe, in addition to wonderful connections within the U.S. from Lindbergh Field.”
Lindbergh Field is projected to reach capacity around 2035 – 20 years from now.
In 2013, 96 percent of flights out of Lindbergh were domestic flights, according to the study.
Well-know San Diego businessmen and philanthropists Irwin Jacobs and Malin Burnham support the research.
Burnham said he has been interested in this idea for years, and had asked consultants in 1999 to confirm that the plan is feasible.
“We can — number one — accomplish San Diego’s future growth and air service needs with a site at Camp Pendleton,” he said. “We can also do the same for the Orange County residents and Riverside County residents. This would be a wonderful asset for all of Southern California for international flights, not just for San Diego.”
The site would be just north of Oceanside, with access and parking proposed off state Route 76.
Camp Pendleton has 125,000 acres. Since some of them are reserved for roaming bison, the military should be able to make five percent of the base available for the benefit of its neighboring civilian community, Burnham said.
The Cal State San Marcos research points out that the new half-billion dollar military hospital on Camp Pendleton would be directly west of the proposed dual runways.
San Marcos MBA students will present their findings at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Markstein Hall, room 125, at Cal State San Marcos.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to remove incorrect information in a quote by businessman Malin Burnham about the 2006 ballot initiative to place an international airport on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. He said that proposal called for turning over the base for civilian use. The proposal called for a joint-use facility.
