Ventura County Airports - Communication & Engagement Summary

Bridging the Gap Between the Airports and the Community

Ventura County Department of Airports

Communications & Engagement Summary Introduction

September 2022 – March 2026

Introduction

It was clear in the fall of 2021 that it was time to hit the reset button and begin a new era in community relations. Not just with the pilot community. Not just with neighboring residents. And not just with our community partners. The effort had to be fully inclusive of all stakeholders, with an added goal of trying to bridge the gap between all entities. For the airport to succeed, it could no longer be “us versus them.” Trust had to be built. And then it had (and has) to be maintained.

The road ahead was long. We had work to do, and we were up for the challenge.

Airport administration began its response, and in 2022 hired a Communications & Engagement Manager and introduced a full-time public information element to the team. The task? Establish and nurture community relationships, build and strengthen a noise program, and increase visibility of both Camarillo and Oxnard airports.

There was also unfinished business to address.

For Camarillo Airport it meant pivoting from a master plan process to an updated Airport Layout Plan that was designed for full stakeholder engagement with the underlying focus being on how Camarillo Airport will continue to fulfill its grant assurance obligations and obligations as a former military base turned general aviation/reliever airport as required in the 1977 deed documentation. There would be no changes to how it operates and no amendments to the Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Camarillo.

Simultaneously, the Department of Airports launched two Part 150 Noise Compatibility Studies (one for Camarillo Airport and one for Oxnard Airport) to address noise impacts on neighboring residents who, quite frankly, felt unheard.

All three projects wrapped up in 2025 after more than a dozen total public meetings, not to mention several planning advisory and technical group meetings for each study made up of members representing pilots, community partners, and neighboring community members.

Additionally, the Department of Airports bolstered its noise program, establishing Fly Friendly VC and reworking the way noise comments are addressed and documented through thorough monthly reports and consistent responses (when feasible) to comments.

Enhanced visibility of the airports is an ongoing and developing project that has included the redesign (twice) of the Department’s website to enhance navigation and organization of information, the introduction of airport “swag” for promotional purposes, informational flyers, community communications (e-blasts), participation in a variety of community events, and the development of an Airports Tour Program.

It’s been about being fully invested in listening to our neighbors, to pilots, and to our community partners and about providing a transparent process with a clear and consistent system of communication – one that will never be fully completed but rather an ongoing project designed with the flexibility to meet the changing needs of not the just the airports, but of our stakeholders as well.

More than 2,000 jobs

Local economic impact of nearly $300 million annually

Home to new aviation technology

Community focused Group tours available

2889 W. Fifth Street Oxnard, Ca. 93030

Administration Office: (805) 388-4372

Operations: (805) 947-6804

(5 a.m. – 11 p.m. Daily)

Fly Friendly VC & Noise Comment Report Summary

Recognizing federal limitations when addressing noise concerns relative to changes in air traffic patterns, the Department of Airports introduced Fly Friendly VC in September 2022 as a voluntary program designed to provide pilot education and guidance to ultimately improve quality of life in the air and on the ground. Initial meetings were scheduled with air traffic control teams at both airports along with community members and pilots, to ensure full buy-in of the program to get it off the ground. An ongoing contract with Vector’s Noise Operation Management System (VNOMS) software was established, helping to streamline how noise comments are gathered and how data is collected. Ongoing pilot education, annual pilot fly-in events, and check-ins with the air traffic control teams and neighboring residents have continued as new ideas and improvements to the program are made.

Fly Friendly VC

How Does it Work?

Fly Friendly VC & Noise Comment Report Summary

The culmination of this work, so far, has resulted in changes to annual noise comments, down 10 percent in Camarillo from 2023 to 2025 and down more than 80 percent in Oxnard from 2023 to 2025. On average, a majority of the monthly comments from each airport (approximately 85 percent) come from three households.

This doesn’t mean our work is done. It simply means we must work toward continued progress.

CMA noise comments down 10% from 2023 to 2025

OXR noise comments down 80% from 2023 to 2025

Operations Summary

The Department of Airports began tracking data related to monthly operations for both airports, and nighttime operation data specifically for Camarillo Airport due to increased concerns from the community regarding private jet operations. Data shows that annual operations are down at Camarillo Airport from the data collection start date in January 2022, and while total operations are up at Oxnard Airport, the air traffic control team and local pilots, in particular, have responded accordingly, following Fly Friendly VC procedures whenever safely possible to minimize noise impacts. It’s important to note that increases in operations, particularly at Oxnard Airport, are often reflective of runway closure and restrictions at other regional training airports. Van Nuys Airport, for example, had multiple closures of their training runway in 2025, leading many aircraft to Camarillo and Oxnard airports. This is where the work of the air traffic control teams has been vital in minimizing impacts on the community.

Operations Report - *Total Annual Operations

CMA - Nighttime Flight Operations

*Chart represents annual data for arrivals and departures between

Operations Summary

Additional items to highlight: Nighttime operations at Camarillo Airport are down 18 percent between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. between January 2023 when data collection began and December 2025. Nighttime arrivals on Runway 8 have increased by 43 percent since 2024 when airports’ staff began meeting with chief pilots who utilize Camarillo Airport and since changes were made to the ATIS messaging – all part of the process improvements made to Fly Friendly VC.

Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Camarillo: The County of Ventura entered a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Camarillo in 1976 that sets boundaries on certain operations at Camarillo Airport. Those boundaries include the following:

CMA - Nights With No Flight Activity

12am and 5am.

4 1. No departures between midnight and 5 a.m. (Arrivals are permitted 24/7)

4 2. No cargo air service

4 3. No commercial air service

Community Engagement

Another driving force behind building and improving relationships with our stakeholders has been the development of a marketing and communications strategy that aims to build visibility of both Camarillo and Oxnard airports, educate the public about airport operations, and make the airports more accessible to our neighbors. As part of this effort, the Department of Airports introduced several educational marketing pieces available to the public on everything from basic information related to how to connect with the airports, to more topic-specific pieces like flyers related to Area 805 and Fly Friendly VC. Promotional items (airport “swag”) also became available at public events.

Community Engagement

Most recently, the Department of Airports unveiled a redesigned website experience to address feedback, both internally and externally, regarding ease of navigation and organization of information. New Fly Friendly VC educational materials are being developed (and will continue to be), along with continued work on projects like the Approach and Procedure Analysis for Camarillo Airport.

Providing community updates via our e-mail (or e-blast) system has been vital. More than 1,000 people are reached with messages related to Camarillo and Oxnard airports, all made possible from marketing the development of a “Join Our Mailing List” form on our website.

Community Engagement

Community Engagement

Spotlight Stories

The Department of Airports developed a “spotlight story” project in the fall of 2024, highlighting 16 stories (and counting) focusing on topics covering philanthropic work, stories of historical relevance, and critical resources like medical flights and the Ventura County Aviation Unit. The stories have helped uncover the littleknown facts about both Oxnard and Camarillo airports, shedding light on local heroes who otherwise fly under the radar of attention.

Spotlight Stories Book

Airports Tour Program

Work to make the airports more accessible to the public also includes the development of an Airports Tour Program that is available for groups of adults and children alike to provide the opportunity to see first-hand how dayto-day operations at the airports work. Visitors have the opportunity to visit the Ventura County Air Unit’s hangar and see up close the helicopters sent on firefighting and life-saving missions, the history at the Commemorative Air Force Museum, towers at both Oxnard and Camarillo Airports, Axis Air, private jets at Air 7 and Sky Harbour, and the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, the Department of Airports’ has a vision of success and vitality. One that includes a balance of ensuring that both Camarillo and Oxnard airports continue to meet the needs and obligations as general aviation airports while also being mindful of impacts on the community.

Between the economic benefits, the role as part of the National Transportation System, and access to critical resources like fire and rescue operations, it’s hard to describe the incredible value of Camarillo and Oxnard airports. Our work with stakeholder engagement will remain a top priority. The fact is, communications and engagement is still a relatively young program for the airports, and it is intentionally designed to be flexible and change with the needs of both the airports and our stakeholders. We will never have a finished product. Our journey continues, and we are still up for the challenge.