On July 31, the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s Airport Committee met and learned that San Diego International Airport will be starting a nine-month capital improvement project on Aug. 10 to rebuild the north taxiway “C” and install new lights and signage. The north taxiway needs resurfacing, which may result in a wider fanning of departures to relieve cueing on the south taxiway at critical times of the day during the construction period. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will need to sequence aircraft departure patterns south of the normal 275-degree heading. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on July 12 this seemingly routine project received $5 million of FAA stimulus funding. However, according the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority contracts, these capital improvement projects add up to over $25 million in total and will increase the influence of the airport without community input. The Airport Authority is sending out a letter and map to thousands of residences on the south end of Point Loma and Sunset Cliffs to advise of aircraft noise that may be increased due to this project beginning next week. The Airport Authority states that the FAA may need to fan out departures onto a currently approved 250-degree heading due to this project. Some flights will be departing on this rarely-used 250-degree heading (headed to the East Coast) flying directly over Dana Middle School, Silvergate Elementary School and Warren Walker School. The Peninsula Community Planning Board’s Airport Committee reviewed FAA documents confirming the 250-degree heading is non-standard and the FAA has assured the state of California it will minimize its use for noise-abatement purposes. Our community should be aware that the fanning of departures may eventually be needed to accommodate future additional flights as San Diego International Airport (SDIA) expands. Flights at Lindbergh are expected to grow based on demand and will be accommodated by the 10 new gates being constructed at Terminal 2. The additional flights may impact FAA aircraft sequencing as projected growth would dwarf the few aircraft that now depart from the north taxiway. The PCPB Airport Committee strongly suggests that the Airport Authority consider the following measures to help mitigate the airport’s noise influence during this temporary project: • Utilize the concaviation facility as an alternative path for aircraft to access the east end of the north taxiway beginning at 6:30 a.m. • Construct the eastern half of the taxiway during curfew hours of 11:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. (Lindbergh’s entire runway was previously resurfaced during these same hours.) • Segment project construction to minimize length of time east end of taxiway is unavailable. • Sequence departures from the north taxiway into the south taxiway’s flow before aircraft cross runway 27. • Only allow the 250-degree departure heading between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. • Do not allow any MD80 aircraft to depart on the 250 heading at any time. Similar cueing and fanning departures south of normal 275-degree heading will increase at SDIA as Lindbergh reaches its capacity, first in the early mornings, then all day long. Thus, this “temporary program” may be an introduction to our future. The PCPB Airport Committee plans to present a draft letter to Sen. Christine Kehoe and Congresswomen Susan Davis at PCPB regular meeting Aug. 20 regarding our community’s growing concerns with SDIA expansion. For more information, visit www.pcpb.net/airport.html. — Suhail Khalil is a Point Loma resident and chairs the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s Airport Committee.