Santa Monica Municipal Airport [FLYING file photo]
Key Takeaways:
Santa Monica City Council has voted to initiate the closure of Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO), leveraging a 2017 agreement with the FAA that permits the airport's cessation of operations after December 31, 2028.
This decision is the culmination of decades of tension between the city, residents, and the airport, driven by concerns over noise, pollution, and land use, which previously led to a significant runway shortening despite aviation group opposition.
The city intends to redevelop the 227-acre airport site into open space, parks, and public recreational facilities, in line with Measure LC approved by voters in 2014, with a detailed planning and community input timeline extending into the 2030s.
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.
