Watsonville Municipal Airport

4 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 10 WATSONV I LLE MUNI C I PAL A I RPORT the years but its importance to the community has never wavered. The terminal is one area that has seen multiple changes. “Our terminal building was built in 1974,” Williams recounts, “and it has been through many renovations since. We have upgraded the terminal restaurant, lobby, and the restrooms, and it serves us very well.” Watsonville Municipal is a bit different from other airports in that they operate as their own limited services FBO, providing transient parking, self and full service fueling. “All the other concessions are here on the field,” Williams explains. “We still have maintenance, avionics, interior shops, and restoration, but they are all done by other companies. As an airport, we have $4 million in revenue – but we bring in around $1.2 million in fuel sales, $1.3 million in hangar rentals, and then the remaining $1.7 million is a function of commercial aviation leases for businesses, as well as non-aviation leases. Our expenses come in at $3.5 million, so we have been doing quite well.” There are several aviation-related businesses within the airport fence line – hangars, maintenance, charter operations, helicopter training, fixed wing training, Medi-vac, skydiving – but there is also an area outside the perimeter called the Watsonville Industrial Center. That complex contains a collection of commercial businesses such as a janitorial service, a precision machine shop, exterminator, and others. Just down across the street from the terminal, there is a diesel truck repair facility, custom hat shop, restaurants, and even a craft beer enterprise. The airport is blessed to be surrounded by industry and manages to incorporate different revenue streams that help it succeed. Watsonville Municipal Airport is currently working on a new master plan, which will be completed by February 2023 and will provide them with a renewed capital improvement plan for the next five years. The airport previously went through a substantial improvement process