The Santa Monica City Council is set on eliminating the historic Santa Monica Airport, voting for its closure on Tuesday night. This is not the first time the Council has voted to close the airport and it is strictly a symbolic vote. The airport is legally protected for now, but the city continues to spend copious amounts of taxpayer’s money in its attempt to find a legal loophole to achieve its mission. The Council’s target for the closure now is 2018 despite the fact that, as late as last week, the FAA reaffirmed the requirement of the city to operate the airport at least until 2023 through a Part 16 complaint filed by a long list of airport tenants and supporters, including NBAA and AOPA.
Santa Monica City Council Votes to Close SMO
Key Takeaways:
- The Santa Monica City Council is determined to close the Santa Monica Airport by 2018, despite a recent FAA ruling mandating its operation until at least 2023, and continues to spend taxpayer money seeking legal loopholes.
- The city is actively diminishing airport operations by encroaching on land for non-aviation uses, forcing tenants to close (e.g., a flight school paid to cease operations), taking over FBO services, and implementing inconvenient security measures.
- Future plans include repurposing the western parcel of the airport for non-aviation use and shortening the runway by 2,000 feet, which would render it unusable for many aircraft and likely require FAA permission.
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