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), with the closure permitted after December 31, 2028, based on a 2017 agreement with the FAA.
This decision is the culmination of decades of tension and community opposition regarding the airport, stemming from concerns over noise, pollution, and safety, which previously led to the runway being shortened and disruptions for airport businesses.
The city plans to redevelop the 227-acre airport site primarily into public open space, parks, and recreational facilities, in accordance with Measure LC passed by Santa Monica voters in 2014.
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.
