Image: Spartan7W – CC BY-SA 3.0
The Catalina Island Conservancy has announced that it will be partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps to repair the runway at Catalina Airport (AVX), also called the “Airport in the Sky.” AVX is the only airport on California’s Santa Catalina Island, which is home to approximately 4,100 people and sees over 1 million visitors annually. The Marines have said they will use the runway repair project as a training exercise for troops deploying to remote and island locations to build or repair airfields and infrastructure.
“The Airport in the Sky is a historic and critical asset, providing access to Catalina Island for first responders, travelers and more than 2 million tons of freight each year,” said Catalina Island Conservancy President Tony Budrovich. “With this runway repair project, I would project more than 75 years of runway operations in our future.”
The airport’s 3,000-foot runway will be closed on Dec. 9. A temporary runway will be set up, but advance permission will be required for landing there. The main runway is expected to reopen and normal operations resume in April 2019. Projected cost for the project is $5 million.
