Miramar top spot for new airport
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has unveiled a report recommending the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar as the new site for an overspill civilian terminal just outside San Diego.
The main airport currently serving the south Californian city, Lindbergh Field, is fast approaching capacity and airport and municipal officials are looking at alternatives to ensure the city's continued economic growth.
The typical approach of aircraft to Lindbergh Field currently runs through the downtown area and the airport itself is hemmed in by construction and developments on all sides so offers little scope for improvement.
Miramar, the former Naval Base that was the setting for the cult 1986 film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, offers far greater opportunities for expansion in line with San Diego's own continued growth.
Military officials in the area have previously expressed reservations about joint use of Miramar, saying it would be costly and could compromise the military's current position. Civic officials, however, have suggested that the concerns were unfounded and that the Miramar option is a viable one.