Santa Monica Municipal Airport [FLYING file photo]
Key Takeaways:
The Santa Monica City Council has voted to initiate the closure of Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) after December 31, 2028, as permitted by a 2017 agreement with the FAA.
This decision follows decades of contention, with local residents citing noise and pollution concerns, while aviation groups have opposed actions like the previous runway shortening.
The city plans to redevelop the 227-acre airport property primarily into open space, parks, and recreational facilities, adhering to a voter-approved measure and an ongoing planning timeline.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
