2031 closure would likely increase airplane traffic at San Martin Airport
San Martin Airport could see more traffic if Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose closes. Photo courtesy San Martin Airport
By Robert Airoldi
Ten years from now, the number of flights at the San Martin Airport will increase significantly if Santa Clara County officials close Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, which is expected to happen.
How much more airplane traffic and additional impacts to the residents of the rural community are now the subject of a public engagement plan. County Roads and Airports Director Harry Freitas said in an online forum Feb. 12 staff expect to present the plan to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in April. They are now seeking comment from South Valley residents.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that if an airport were to close, the surrounding airports are going to have an increase in traffic,” Freitas said. “That subject has to be studied very carefully.”
In 2019, Reid-Hillview saw a total of 208,260 operations — defined as a takeoff or landing. That number dropped significantly in 2020 to 143,498, Freitas said. San Martin Airport saw 37,200 operations in 2019, and 25,700 in 2020.
County supervisors still must decide the fate of the 180-acre Reid-Hillview Airport. For several years officials have been preparing to slowly phase out the facility by 2031. For the past four years, county staff and supervisors have been exploring alternative uses for the land, which sits across from Eastridge Mall on Tully Road in San Jose. Possible uses include commercial projects, a mixed-use neighborhood development with affordable housing, and education facilities.
Reid-Hillview Airport was built in the early 1940s. During the decades, homes were built around it. Today, residents have expressed concerns about planes continuously landing and taking off over these neighborhoods.
Morgan Hill City Manager Christina Turner said the city appreciates the county’s commitment to keeping South County informed and involved on this important issue.
“While it is difficult to know for sure how much air traffic may shift to San Martin Airport when/if the Reid-Hillview Airport closes, increases definitely will have an impact,” she said. “It is important the county listens to and considers input from South County throughout the decision making process. I am committed to ensuring this happens.”
Preliminary discussions by county officials and the South Valley pilot community have considered expanding San Martin Airport’s asphalt runways beyond their current 3,100 feet, per the county’s South County Airport Master Plan Report. This would let bigger planes use it such as the airtankers used to fight wildfires. To battle last year’s fires, these airtankers carried up to 1,200 gallons of water or retardant chemicals and flew out of the Hollister Airport, which has a 6,350-foot runway.
In 2018, the board of supervisors voted to stop accepting grants for Reid-Hillview from the Federal Aviation Administration. That releases the county from its obligation to continue to operate the airport after the latest grant expires in 2031, Freitas explained.
“It’s a complex and regulated process,” he said.
