Santa Monica Municipal Airport [FLYING file photo]
Key Takeaways:
The Santa Monica City Council has voted to begin the process of closing Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) after December 31, 2028, in accordance with a 2017 agreement with the FAA.
The 2017 agreement, which also included a controversial runway shortening opposed by aviation groups, settled long-standing tensions between the city and airport stakeholders.
This closure is the culmination of decades of community opposition citing noise, pollution, and safety concerns, with city officials consistently seeking to redevelop the land.
The city plans to transform the 227-acre airport site into open space, parks, and recreational facilities, with a multi-year timeline for public input and development extending beyond the airport's closure.
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.
