An Inland Empire congressman Tuesday introduced legislation intended to secure the future of Corona Municipal Airport for decades to come.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, submitted House of Representatives’ Resolution No. 6721 to facilitate the city of Corona’s efforts to renew its lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and retain control over the space where the airport is situated.
“Corona Municipal Airport is an important regional asset that serves our aviation community and contributes to our local economy,” Calvert said. “There’s simply no reason why the airport’s lease should be allowed to expire in the future.”
The lease, which the city entered into with the Corps in 1960, will expire on Jan. 30, 2037, and Calvert and city officials want to establish provisions for easy renewal well ahead of time to avoid complications, according to his office.
Multiple small airports nationwide have been shuttered in recent decades because of a lack of local support or disagreements between airport operators and urban planners regarding optimum use of airfield properties, according to the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association.
The city of Chicago bulldozed Meigs Field in the early 2000s during a land use dispute, and Santa Monica Airport is due to be closed and dismantled at the end of 2028 because the city wants to convert the property to public park and living space.
Corona Municipal Airport is located within the Prado Basin, which is under the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There is no clause in the existing lease that grandfathers in the airport’s perpetual use of the land, according to Calvert’s office.
City officials said that the airport, which has a cafe overlooking the single runway and is home to roughly 300 aircraft either tied down on the ramp or housed in the facility’s 308 hangars, bolsters tourism and recreation in western Riverside County.
“The city thanks Congressman Calvert for continuing to advocate in favor of outstanding regional facilities like the Corona Municipal Airport,” Corona Mayor Wes Speake said. “The airport provides the perfect link of economic and recreational opportunities to area residents and businesses.”
Calvert’s office noted that “the closure of the airport would deprive aviators of significant opportunities to enjoy this pastime as fewer small, recreational airports in the region remain open and accessible.”
The congressman said it’s immensely important for both economic and cultural reasons to maintain the facility long into the future.
H.R. 6721 has not yet been scheduled for hearings.