Napa County Airport Upgrade (to ILS) Begins with Groundbreaking Today

NAPA — The long-awaited Napa County Airport upgrade will break ground today with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, joining county officials and staff at the event.

The event is open to the public.

The upgrade will allow pilots to use their instruments to land in bad weather, they said (ILS).

“Right now, if a pilot is unable to land safely in bad weather without instruments, they have to go on to another airport, like Oakland or Sacramento,” Napa County spokeswoman Elizabeth Emmett said. “This will allow more pilots to land at the Napa Airport and do it more safely.”

The Glideslope Antenna System project is being touted as an example of needed investments in Napa County’s transportation infrastructure, officials said.

“If California is going to remain competitive in the long-term, we need to make serious investments in the roads, bridges, airports, and ports that form the foundation of our economy,” Thompson said. “Transportation infrastructure investment is a proven job creator and a key source of economic growth.”

County officials said they look forward to talking with LaHood about much-needed local infrastructure improvements and how to improve the funding process to ensure that projects get built.

Editor’s Note:   “Transportation Infrastructure” is what airports are – the same as highways. That fact is lost on many public officials and politicians, as well as the general public.