THE 2021A AIR SHOW over Huntington Beach has led to a controversy.

A controversy emerged this week over a lawsuit settlement with the sponsor of a 2021 aerial exhibition over Huntington Beach.

The cancellation of the final day of the Pacific  Airshow due to the closure of a city beach in the wake of an offshore oil spill resulted in a settlement in May 2023 of $7 million for the show’s organizers – Pacific Airshow LLC – who claimed the event was wrongfully ended.

A California Public Records Act lawsuit has compelled the release of the details of the agreement, which had been considered “confidential” by the city attorney’s office.

In a joint statement by Huntington Beach City Councilmembers Dan Kalmick, Rhonda Bolton and Natalie Moser, it’s alleged that the agreement could be considered “a gift of public funds.”

Among the details of the settlement, in addition to $7 million for claimed losses, Pacific Airshow gets a 10-year exclusive contract with three 10-year extensions, and will receive all recreational parking revenue.

Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark’s statement was “the city’s settlement with Pacific Airshow LLC ensures the potential for future Airshow events which bring in over a hundred million dollars in economic benefit to the region and tens of millions of dollars directly to the City of Huntington Beach each year.”