Stockton Metropolitan Airport is a public airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located three miles (5 km) southeast of the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 (CBD) of Stockton

Stockton, California

Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

, a city in San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County, California

San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 685,306. The county seat is Stockton.-History:...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

History

United Airlines served Stockton from 1946 until 1980, PSA/USAir from 1971-72 until 1980 and 1984 until 1991, Frontier/Continental from 1980 to 1988, and Southwest Airways and its successors from 1955 until 1978-79. The last prop airliner flights ended in 1995; America West's regional affiliate tried CRJ flights to Phoenix starting in 2000-2001 but left the airport and the terminal empty in 2003.

In June 2006 Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...

 began flying round trips to Las Vegas and that service continues.

On October 26, 2007 Allegiant Air began service to Phoenix-Mesa and on July 1, 2010 Allegiant Air began service to Long Beach. However, both services have since been discontinued.

Beginning on October 28, 2011, Allegiant Air will begin twice weekly flights from Stockton to Palm Springs.

Allegiant's success at the airport could help draw other carriers to the airport. Load factors for Allegiant are about 90 percent, well above the necessary level to maintain profitable service.

The airport hopes to give area residents more options for flights from the airport and has been hoping to secure airline service to many different destinations and major hub airports and increase cargo opportunities.

Flights to Mexico

Aeromexico

Aeroméxico

Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...

 had expressed interest in starting service at the airport in 2006 to provide flights to Guadalajara and Morelia. However, the airport was unable to secure a customs facility. Federal officials saw no need for such facility as they already existed at nearby airports in Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose.

Local officials later filed an appeal and Congressman Richard Pombo

Richard Pombo

Richard William Pombo is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having represented California's 11th congressional district from 1993 to 2007...

 also persuaded officials to approve of a facility. Federal officials then reconsidered and approved the plans for the facility. Despite the Federal approval, San Joaquin County Supervisors decided against financing the project. The supervisors claimed that the taxpayers dollars would be better spent elsewhere.

Facilities

Stockton Metropolitan Airport covers 1552 acres (6.3 km²) and has two runway

Runway

According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

s and one helipad

Helipad

Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...

:

• Runway 11L/29R: 10,650 x 150 ft (45.7 m). (3,246 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
  Asphalt
  Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
  
  
• Runway 11R/29L: 4,454 x 75 ft (22.9 m). (1,358 x 23 m), Surface: Asphalt
• Helipad H1: 70 x 70 ft (21.3 m). (21 x 21 m), Surface: Concrete
  Concrete
  Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
  
  

Military use

In the months preceding World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the U.S. Army entered into the first of many lease agreements with the City of Stockton (on 15 August 1940) to construct and operate an Army training facility and airfield at Stockton Municipal Airport.

World War II

Stockton Army Airfield was initially garrisoned by the 68th Air Base Group (Special) under the Air Corps Advance Flying School. Between 1940 and 1945, Stockton Field served as a training installation under the West Coast Training Center (later Western Flying Training Command) headquartered at Santa Ana Army Air Base

Santa Ana Army Air Base

Santa Ana Army Air Base was an air base built during World War II that was decommissioned in 1946. The air base was used for basic training but did not have planes, hangars or runways. The base was and located in Costa Mesa between Baker Street on the north, Harbor Blvd. on the west, Wilson...

. In May 1944, all of the facility was consolidated into the 3033rd Army Air Forces Base Unit. Given the airfield's proximity to logistical facilities under the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces

Army Service Forces

The Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...

, the site soon became a logistical hub for the U.S. Army in general and the Army Air Forces in particular. This resulted in an increased number of transport aircraft passing through Stockton Field.

On 2 March 1945, the final class of aviation cadets completed their training, and Stockton AAF was transferred from the control of the Western Flying Training Command to the Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...

. With this transfer, the 3033rd AAFBU was redesignated as the 591st AAFBU.

Postwar use

In October 1946, Stockton AAF was declared surplus to the needs of the government. As 1,044.18 acres were in the process of being transferred to the War Assets Administration

War Assets Administration

The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...

for disposal, 71.36 acres, consisting of a major portion of the former cantonment area including housing, storage facilities, and a sewage disposal plant, were leased to U.S. Army's Stockton General Depot located to the south in nearby Lathrop.

The City of Stockton and the County of San Joaquin resumed operating the former Stockton Municipal Airport on 16 December 1946 under a joint (interim) license. On the 1,044.18 acres of leased land (950 acres of which comprise the airport now under license) there were approximately 175 buildings, including 50 airport-related structures which were included in the above described license. The buildings were primarily the Quartermaster 700-series and 800-series type construction with concrete foundations, wood floor, composition roof, and wood lap siding.

United States Army use

On 29 January 1947, the 71.36-acres of former Stockton Field retained by the U.S. Army was officially named the "Stockton General Depot Field Annex," then renamed "Sharpe General Depot Field Annex" in 1948, when Stockton General Depot was redesignated as Sharpe General Depot. The U.S. Army, with the exception of the Sharpe General Depot Field Annex, left Stockton Field by 31 January 1948; the same date that the City of Stockton and the County of San Joaquin jointly assumed administration over the airport (Stockton Record 1964).

Sharpe General Depot Field Annex was formed from two parcels of land adjacent to the southwest portion of the current Stockton Metropolitan Airport. Sharpe General Depot Field Annex was operated by the U.S. Army as a separate, self-contained military post under Sharpe General Depot. With the rapid expansion of depot operations and facilities that occurred with the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Sharpe General Depot Field Annex's name was changed to Sharpe General Depot Troop Field Annex to reflect its support mission. During this period, the Site was used primarily for family housing, recreational, and other support facilities for Sharpe General Depot. One of the tenants was the 164th Field Artillery Battalion, California Army National Guard, who occupied a small part of the Sharpe General Depot Troop Field Annex until the new National Guard Armory was built on State-owned land south of the Site in 1952.

On 8 July 1957, the City of Stockton transferred half of its interest in the Stockton Municipal Airport by Grant Deed, and San Joaquin County assumed administration over the airport (subject to certain reservations, restrictions and conditions according to the "Agreement" with the United States of America dated 23 December 1948 (Appendix A).
The end of the Korean War caused more mission changes at Sharpe General Depot and the Sharpe General Depot Troop Field Annex. In 1958, the Sharpe General Depot received a Fourth Echelon Air Maintenance Support mission on U.S. Army aircraft within the Sixth U.S. Army Area. The Site then served as home to the Sixth U.S. Army Aircraft Field Maintenance Activity operated by Detachment 3, 6932nd Service Unit. This unit provided maintenance support to U.S. Army rotary and fixed wing liaison aircraft in the Sixth U.S. Army area and Buildings 1000, 1001, and 1003. The Site also was the home of the 30th Engineer Group (Topographic) and the 521st Engineer Company (Topographic, Aviation).
During 1959 and 1960, construction of a new airstrip, hangar and shop at Sharpe Army Deport curtailed the military's use of Stockton Airport. In June 1961, the Aircraft Field Maintenance Activity was transferred to Fort Ord, California. By July 1962, the Army Material Command was established with several sub-commands, including the Supply and Maintenance Command. This brought about another name change when Sharpe General Deport became Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex.

On 11 July 1964, Stockton Municipal Airport was officially renamed the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, reflecting its changing role as a civil airport. Thirty new family housing units were also built in 1964 at Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex, resulting in the closure of family housing units at the Site.

In the last months of 1965, support to Army Aviation expanded again as a result of the U.S. Army's role in Southeast Asia. As the Vietnam War continued, so did Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex's mission. In April 1966, the first units of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th Quartermaster Depot began to arrive at the Site, followed by units of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 58th Field Depot in July.

By 1966, the Headquarters Commandant of Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex had the responsibility to command troops assigned to Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex. This included the supervision of all attached and tenant units, Special Services, Annex Services, Education Center, Officer Open Mess and Non-commissioned Officers Club, including support for Reserve, National Guard and Transient Units.

In January 1967, an Army Clothing Sales Store was transferred from Sacramento Army Depot and reopened in Building T-88 at the Site. A Branch Exchange of the Presidio of San Francisco was also established in Building T-137. On-post housing at Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex was limited, causing 44 sets of "inadequate quarters" to be established at the Site, whereby old barracks buildings were converted into "apartment-type quarters" with two apartments upstairs and two downstairs. To further accommodate the increase in soldiers now stationed at Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex, the Site now provided many additional services such as laundry, dry cleaning, and medical facilities.

In the early 1970s, the need for soldiers garrisoning Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex also decreased as military positions were converted to Civil Service positions. Due to the shift in staffing, Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex determined that it no longer needed the Field Annex site and began the process of disposing of the Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex.

Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex was vacated in 1973, ending the U.S. Army's presence on the field with all of the land and buildings reverting back to the County. The only military presence that has remained on Stockton Metropolitan Airport is the California Army National Guard's Armory, Field and Combined Support Maintenance Shop, and the Army Aviation Support Facility located just south of the Site.