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) by December 31, 2028, pursuant to a 2017 agreement with the FAA.
This decision follows a long-standing history of community opposition to the airport, which previously led to a runway shortening in 2017 despite objections from aviation groups.
The city intends to redevelop the 227-acre airport site, comprising 4.3 percent of the city's land, into public open space and parks, aligning with a 2014 voter measure.
The closure and redevelopment process is outlined with a multi-year timeline, beginning with consultant selection in 2023 and specific plan adoption projected to extend beyond 2033.
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.
