Nighttime closures will begin this month at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) as crews begin removing pavement from the ends of the airport’s shortened runway.
The project begins June 16, 2019, with a target completion date of Sept. 6. Most work will be performed during nighttime closures from 9 p.m.-7 a.m., Sunday through Friday, although the airport will be closed completely July 8-11 and again Aug. 5-8, according to officials with the National Business Aviation Association.
Updated closure information will be published as NOTAMs and posted to the airport’s website.
The affected areas, made up of approximately 750′ of runway pavement and taxiways at each end, were closed to aviation operations at the end of 2017. The city used markings and signs to reduce available runway length to 3,500′, but left the pavement in place.
As part of this upcoming project, the city will now replace that “excess” pavement with hydroseed, NBAA officials report.
GA advocates note those surfaces will not offer the same level of safety as pavement in the event of runway overruns. NBAA officials also expressed concern the grass could attract birds and other wildlife.
“Santa Monica officials continue to act irresponsibly by wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on a project that has no benefit, and which only reduces the safety and disaster relief capabilities of their community’s airport,” said Alex Gertsen, NBAA director for airports and ground infrastructure.
Legal Actions to Preserve SMO
Pavement removal is the latest effort by city officials to further degrade SMO’s aeronautical capabilities, NBAA officials say. City officials have the option to close the airport after 2028 premised on a controversial settlement agreement between the city of Santa Monica and the FAA.
However, airport proponents have remained steadfast in their efforts to protect aviation interests at SMO and remain optimistic about preserving the airport well beyond that date.
Last November, NBAA led an effort with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, asking the FAA to reevaluate the agency’s prior approval for the city to use airport funds for portions of the pavement removal and reseeding project.
As a result, the FAA initiated a Part 13 complaint and suspended its earlier guidance, directing the city that “no airport revenue may be used to fund the removal, pulverization, or destruction of the existing pavement of the former runway or taxiway areas” pending its final decision.
NBAA also has a pending legal action before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asserting the FAA exceeded its authority when entering into the settlement agreement with the City of Santa Monica. An initial ruling from the court is expected later this year.
“Should airport proponents prevail, it will ultimately set the course to vacate the settlement agreement,” Gertsen emphasized. “The city would then need to restore the runway at SMO.”
While the shortened runway resulted in operational limits for some aircraft, business aviation has adapted with a number of jets continuing to fly from SMO, NBAA officials conclude.
I see another situation just like Chicago Midway Airport coming. That first night SMO is closed the city will come in and carve up the entire runway with deep “X’s” and make it unusable. Sure it will be illegal but the damage will be done no one will hold the city responsible. That’s how liberal tyrants work.
General Aviation really is two groups. The jets and the props. If you are a little prop pilot, more for hobby than business, like I am, you should just leave California period. I have left!
My plane is now on a nice long paved non-tower Indian Reservation duster strip (A09.) I pay half the land fee for my 50X40 hangar than I paid Camarillo for a 38ft Port-a-Port. Ground time for take off is 1/10 CMA. And I no longer pay county property tax on the plane and property tax on the hangar of much greater value and space is half.
No restaurant here, put I have a fridge and a BBQ with no use restriction and there is a nice fly in cafe about 35 mile away with a great breakfast.
Look on Craig’s List, there is a $35,000 hangar and nice golf course with nice homes (at half California price) about 6 mile up the road.
How nice for you.
SHAME on the FAA for allowing this to happen.
one needs to understand the legal ownership status at KSMO. Title was in two parcels, one on a lease from the city and the other a lease in perpetuity for airport use, so the City was entitled to close its portion and reduce the runway length to 3,500’ That is not in contention, sad as it may be.
The tragedy is that Sec Huerta agreed to close the rest of the runway at a future date – he didn’t need to do that, so, why did he do it? Seriously, why? Did Obama tell him to abandon KSMO in return for campaign donations? The total closure was so illogical, agreed to without public comment or participation, that something stinks.
Huerta has never explained why he agreed to this. What was the quid pro quo? A bribe? Instruction from above? We deserve to know.
Just the beginning for California.
KSMO’s closure WILL spell the beginning of the end of GA. I read somewhere the powers-that-be want to close BNG as well.
And Reid-Hillview in Northern California. The city council wants to use it for low income housing
At RHV??? That place is a GA hotspot…
Communists have runways too!
If aviation loses this airport then NO airport is safe.
? Bullseye!!!
Santa Monica has been Communist for decades.