Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 2.B
Meeting Date: April 22, 2026
From: Andrew Firestine, City Manager
Title: Palm Springs International Airport Updates
RECOMMENDATION:
This presentation is for informational purposes and there are no recommended actions.
BACKGROUND:
Mayor Gregory and Andrew Firestine met with representatives of the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) on March 23 to review and discuss a rise in aircraft noise complaints in the Coachella Valley resulting from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) changes to the PSP approach path implemented around June 2025 without notice to the airport. The discussion clarified the roles of airline operators (flight schedules), the FAA (flight paths, air traffic control), and the PSP (operation of the airport, including aircraft on the ground). In the meeting, PSP staff offered to provide an update to the City Council and Cathedral City community on April 22.
DISCUSSION:
The PSP intends to address the aircraft noise complaints and changes implemented by the FAA and other airport updates.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact of this discussion item. In an April 2025 economic impact study prepared by Unison Consulting, Inc., the airport was estimated to have more than a $2.5 billion economic impact across the Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario MSA.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
None