May 2024 – Long Beach SANeR Group

(Post date 5/26/24)
Last week news broke over several media sites that reported the firing and subsequent lawsuit against Curt Castagna who was a CEO and managing member of the AeroLease Companies. It’s a convoluted web that Castagna seems to have woven using the name Aeroplex Managing Partners as his own separate company while employed by AeroPlex/AeroLease. This will all play out in court.

Citizens calling for Curt Castagna to be REMOVED from the federal program EAGLE which is to “Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions”. Castagna (two lease tenant at VNY with the 3rd ambition thwarted by community) was accused of spreading misinformation to stall “getting the lead out”.

Here are some of the article links to read if you haven’t yet seen them.
LB4D News reports :
“The lawsuit alleges that Castagna used Aeroplex/Aerolease resources and personnel to form a competing airport hanger management and consulting company called Aeroplex Group Partners and took various steps to interfere with Aeroplex/Aerolease after that Board terminated Castagna’s employment. more…

The Press Telegram reported:
“A 50-year-old company that leases hangers and office space to more than 100 tenants at the Long Beach and Van Nuys airports has fired its longtime, nationally known chief executive officer, accusing him in a blistering lawsuit of using its employees and resources to enrich his competing consulting firm.” more…

LB Post reports it this way:
“A major hangar-leasing business at Long Beach Airport fired its longstanding CEO this month and then swiftly sued him, alleging he tried to walk away with company property to prop up his own competing business. The former CEO has denied the accusations, saying the situation is an unwinding of a complicated business relationship “that unfortunately went public.”” more…

Aviation International News wrote:
“The company owns the leaseholds of extensive hangar space at Van Nuys and Long Beach airports, and according to a press release issued yesterday, its majority-in-interest owners voted to remove Castagna, after filing a lawsuit against him in the Superior Court of Los Angeles under allegations of conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, and violation of the Computer Data and Access Fraud Act.” more…

Curt Castagna put out his own announcement reported here:
“Curt Castagna, former president and CEO of the Aerolease Group entities, announced that he has stepped away from managing the company’s leaseholds at the Van Nuys and Long Beach Airports to focus entirely on serving as principal of the consulting firm Aeroplex Group Partners.” more…

You can read the entire court filing here.

It is important to note that at the April 18th Planning Commission meeting, officials approved plans for a large new hangar complex for private chartered flights out of Long Beach Airport. This project was submitted to the city planning commission by Aeroplex Group Partners (Curt Castagna) who is the named defendant in the above court filing.

Last Thursday SANER staged a protest on Spring Street in front of the Aeroplex complex to bring attention to the increased high volume of flight school aviation operations that create noise and lead emissions over neighborhoods surrounding the airport.
Over 100 neighbors came together in this weekday afternoon protest with homemade signs. For many, this was their first time meeting in person but all were drawn to make their voices and concerns heard and seen. This was a great turnout considering many Saners work, have young children, and other obligations on a weekday. Signs were pointed, funny, and creative. Several news media were there to cover the protest and interview participants.