Napa County unveiled three alternative flight approach paths for Napa County Airport's Runway 19R to reduce aircraft noise over populated areas.

Napa County Proposes Three New Flight Paths to Ease Airport Noise

Napa County officials on Sept. 23 unveiled three alternative approach paths for planes landing on Runway 19R at Napa County Airport, aiming to reduce noise complaints from residents below, the Napa Valley Register reported.

The proposed routes — developed by consulting firm Flight Tech Engineering with online input from county residents — would each redirect inbound aircraft to the east, south or west of the city of Napa. The goal is to address complaints that a Federal Aviation Administration instrument approach that took effect in September 2024 brought intrusive noise into parts of the city.

The three options

Approach M would arc planes around east Napa, turning from southeast to southwest into Runway 19R. According to a county presentation deck, it would be the shortest route and more usable in marginal weather, but would require special training and equipment available only on some aircraft.

Approach Y follows a similar southeast-to-southwest trajectory but farther east, with a sharper turn toward the airport. County officials described it as less usable in poor visibility but compatible with standard GPS navigation.

Approach X would bring aircraft from west of Napa across Highway 12/29 near the Highway 121 intersection — south of the Costco store — then right near Soscol Junction for final approach. The county described this route as having normal usability in marginal conditions and workable with standard aviation GPS.

All three paths would cross farmland or run parallel to roads to minimize overflights of urban areas, according to Kory Lewis, associate vice president of Coffman Associates, who presented the plan during an online town hall. The routes are intended mainly as fair-weather alternatives for pilots navigating visually in clear conditions, according to airport manager Mark Witsoe, the Register reported.

None would replace the existing approach

None of the alternatives would eliminate the FAA's current instrument-based approach. Witsoe told the Napa Valley Register in 2025 that the route was developed to allow safer landings in poor visibility, eliminate the need for fliers to circle the airport while waiting for weather to improve, and lower overall noise and emissions.

Still, the flight-pattern change prompted complaints of lower, closer overflights and a Change.org petition calling on the county and FAA to adjust approaches. "It's time to restore the peace that we once enjoyed and create a more harmonious balance between air travel and community life," petition creator Rebecca Peizer of Napa wrote, as quoted by the Register.

Community-suggested options had included corridors from the northeast, from Solano County to the east, and from the northwest along the Napa Valley's western rim. Designers did not include any northwest approaches because those routes did not sufficiently reduce flights over populated areas, according to the presentation.

What's next

County officials plan to refine the concepts based on resident feedback and FAA input before presenting plans to the Napa County Board of Supervisors in November or December. Final approval of any new approach rests with the FAA.

An in-person public workshop is scheduled for Oct. 7, 7–9 p.m., at the County Health and Human Services Agency building, 2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive in Napa. Community members can also review materials and comment at connect.napacounty.gov/AirportApproach.

The Sept. 23 virtual meeting was hampered by repeated video and audio outages on Microsoft Teams, though the county posted the slide deck online the following morning, the Register noted.

Original reporting by Howard Yune, Napa Valley Register.