With the agreement the City of Santa Monica made with the FAA earlier this year to shorten the runway at SMO and ultimately close the airport in 2028, the city is working quickly to shut out business jets from the embattled airport as soon as possible.
Santa Monica Rushes to Shorten SMO Runway
Key Takeaways:
- The City of Santa Monica is rapidly proceeding with plans to shorten the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) runway to 3,500 feet by year-end for $3.5 million, aiming to deter business jets following an agreement with the FAA to close the airport by 2028.
- The runway "destruction" project, which will make it too short for most jet traffic, is set to begin in October and will incur costs to city taxpayers, with the city already planning for future use of the reclaimed property.
- Despite these actions, several lawsuits are challenging the FAA agreement and the city's authority, which could potentially obligate the city to reverse the runway changes at additional taxpayer expense.
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