EAA Expresses Support for Santa Monica Airport

February 2, 2017 - Last weekend, the FAA and the City of Santa Monica announced that they reached a settlement on the future of the long-embattled Santa Monica Airport. The city, which has relentlessly pursued closing the airport, even to the violation of the federal grant assurances with which they must comply, announced that it will close the airport in 2028. Meanwhile, Santa Monica Airport’s runway will be shortened.

“We were surprised at the announcement of the settlement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica regarding its airport,” said EAA CEO and Chairman Jack J. Pelton. “It is certainly a disappointing development, first concerning the immediate ability to shorten the runway, and the ultimate ability to close the airport in 2028.”

Though an amicable resolution was reached between the FAA and the City of Santa Monica, the users, businesses, and employees who depend on the airport continue to be shut out of the discussions about its future. “While we can only guess at the inside discussions to reach this settlement as to our knowledge, the airport’s stakeholders were not a part of it,” Pelton said. “The founding principles of FAA grant assurances are to maintain stability for an airport and its users as part of the national airspace system, above local political maneuvering.”

As Santa Monica Airport’s stakeholders continue to explore options to keep the historical and vital airport open, EAA will continue to support their efforts.