Santa Monica Municipal Airport [FLYING file photo]
Key Takeaways:
Santa Monica City Council has voted to begin the process of closing Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) by December 31, 2028, as permitted by a 2017 agreement with the FAA.
The closure is the culmination of decades of contention between the city and airport, driven by resident concerns over noise, pollution, and safety, which previously led to a runway shortening and relocation of Douglas Aircraft Company.
The city plans to redevelop the 227-acre airport property into open space, parks, and public recreational facilities, in line with voter-approved Measure LC.
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.
