Banning Muncipal Airport Closure Gets Federal Advocacy

BANNING, CA — A federal proposal to improve air travel safety and service could address Banning Municipal Airport.

On Friday, Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-Riverside County) announced that an amendment was included in the House passage of the federal Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act — the amendment calls for a study on what it would take to make the Banning Municipal Airport property more viable for the city.

“I am pleased to include an amendment to study the closure and repurposing of the costly and seldomly used Banning Municipal Airport through the Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act that will bring economic and job growth opportunities to our communities,” Ruiz said in a released statement. “By working with the City of Banning, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, local businesses and residents, I am hopeful the Act will pass in Congress and become law.”

In 2016, the city of Banning commissioned an Airport Feasibility Study to analyze the airport's future.

"The study showed a 71% reduction in traffic over the previous 5 years, and today the airport only holds 16 planes. Due to a lack of needed infrastructure and amenities, the study determined that the airport could not successfully compete with other airports for business," according to Ruiz's office. "Banning has been working to close this airport since 2017 but cannot do so without legislation."

Banning continues to spend resources to keep the airport running "while the land it sits on has great potential to be repurposed for industrial businesses such as distribution, logistics, e-commerce, and manufacturing to bring jobs and economic growth to the community," the congressman's office said.

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The airport's closure could also benefit the Morongo Band of Mission Indians by removing aviation easements on lands held in trust adjacent to the airport.