New FAA Letter Raises Legal Questions About Closing Whiteman Airport
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A newly surfaced letter from the Federal Aviation Administration is raising significant questions about whether Los Angeles County can legally close Whiteman Airport, even as the County moves forward with a $1.3 million study exploring the airport’s potential closure and redevelopment.
In a January 21, 2026, letter to Los Angeles County officials, the FAA confirmed that land purchased with federal Airport Improvement Program funds at Whiteman Airport carries obligations that do not expire. According to the FAA, those obligations remain in effect for the useful life of the land and require the property to continue operating as an airport unless the FAA formally releases it.
The letter also states that an airport sponsor that used federal funds to purchase land “must use the land as an airport until released by the FAA.”
The issue dates back to a 1998 action by Los Angeles County, which accepted FAA Airport Improvement Program funding to acquire land near the runway for safety purposes. Under federal law, when airport land is purchased with those funds, the property carries obligations that do not expire unless the FAA formally releases them.
That raises a pretty basic question: Is it even legally possible to close the airport? And if not, why is the County spending millions of taxpayer dollars studying something that may not be allowed in the first place?
As these questions emerge, residents, pilots, business owners, and public safety advocates have formed the Whiteman Airport Coalition to ensure the public has clear and accurate information about the airport’s future.
“Our goal is simple,” said Christina Pascucci, CEO of Atlas. Your Path Forward, a licensed pilot, and former chair of the Los Angeles County Aviation Commission. “Any decisions about Whiteman Airport should follow the law, make financial sense, protect regional public safety, and reflect what the community actually wants.”
For many people connected to the airport, the issue is personal.
“Aviation is the reason I left everything behind and moved to the United States,” said Estevan Roth, a Pacoima resident and pilot with the Latino Pilots Association. “Whiteman Airport has been home since then.”
Roth says the airport has created opportunities for many people in the surrounding community.
“Whiteman Airport has taken members of our Hispanic community from peeking and dreaming outside the airport fence to taking off and flying over that same fence.”
Local aviation businesses say the airport also plays an important role in the County’s aviation system.
“If you care about what happens at Whiteman Airport, now is the time to pay attention,” said Penny Alderson, owner of Vista Aviation, whose company services local, state, and national aviation firms as well as defense contractors.
Whiteman Airport supports wildfire response, law enforcement operations, emergency management, and regional transportation. It is also home to businesses connected to national security and antiterrorism efforts.
Hundreds of pilots are based at the airport, and aviation leaders say the facility generates revenue that supports the County’s broader airport system.
“This conversation is about the first responders who rely on this airport in emergencies, the businesses that generate millions for the economy, and the families who live nearby,” Pascucci said. “It is also about the opportunity for Pacoima to lead the way in innovation by embracing this irreplaceable infrastructure.”
Residents and community members who want verified updates, engagement opportunities, and ways to support the effort can join the Whiteman Airport Coalition’s information network to stay connected.
Tara Finestone
Whiteman Airport Coalition
whitemanairportcoalition@gmail.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
