San Carlos Airport, an essential hub for business travel in Silicon Valley and positioned on the flight path to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), will face a significant change starting Saturday. According to Airport Manager Gretchen Kelly, the airport's air traffic control tower will be unmanned once the current controllers step down tomorrow. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) switched the air traffic control contracts to Robinson Aviation (RVA), a firm offering lower wages that do not reflect the high cost of living in the Bay Area. "Understandably, all current controllers have declined RVA’s offers," Kelly stated, per the San Mateo County's news release.
The airport operates in highly trafficked airspace and is known for its complex flight environment. Alessandro Franco, owner of the San Carlos Flight Center, emphasized in a San Francisco Chronicle interview that air traffic control is "hugely important" due to this complexity and proximity to SFO. "We’re a mile or two off the final approaches to SFO — it’s a complex space," Franco said. Pilots destined for San Carlos communicate with SFO controllers to safely manage the traffic mix. San Carlos controllers specifically manage airspace within a three-mile radius of the airport, up to 2,000 feet.
With the tower soon vacant, the airport has been actively seeking solutions. Kelly's office is collaborating with Congressman Kevin Mullin to urge the FAA to uphold its commitment to provide air traffic services. They're also considering options to restore staffing to either the prior contractor SERCO or the FAA itself. During this interim phase, pilots are reminded to check NOTAMs, follow Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, and adhere to Voluntary Noise Abatement Procedures.
