But Airport Association Says The City Is Stretching The Truth

The City of Santa Monica has officially notified residents, businesses near Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) as well as airport users of plans to start shortening the airport's only runway from 4,973 feet to 3,500 feet in accordance with an agreement struck between the FAA and the city late last year.

In a letter to "Santa Monica and Los Angeles Residents and Businesses", Nelson Hernandez, Senior Advisor the the City Manager, Airport Affairs says that the project to shorten the runway will begin on October 9 and continue through December 30. During the first phase, the airport will be closed to all operations from 9:00 p.m. (local time) to 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. The second phase begins December 20, and will require the complete closing of the airport for 10 days. The airport is set to reopen with a shorter runway on December 30.

Hernandez says the the "benefits" to the community from the project will be a 44 percent reduction in jet traffic, reducing noise and pollution and "improving the quality of life and air quality for nearby residents and businesses." The project will also create six new taxiways "providing improved safety for arriving aircraft that overrun the end of the runway."

The city says that it will also bring the runway "into compliance with FAA safety standards, improving safety for aircraft landing at the airport as well as for nearby residents and businesses."

The Santa Monica Airport Association (SMAA), however, disputes that there are current safety issues with the airport, and accuses the city of lying to residents and businesses in its letter.

They said in an email sent to Aero-News that the runway is in complete compliance with FAA runway regulations. "Period." The point out that the company hired to do the work, AECOM, has no experience with runway shortening projects.

Additionally:

• The claim of improving quality of life and through a reduction in noise and air pollution to nearby residents is highly suspect. There is a kindergarten, children’s park and extensive playing fields next to the airport now. Does this mean that City of Santa Monica is deliberately endangering these children, businesses and youths through granting permits now? Also, moving the effective runway footprint will change its noise characteristics. Again, we’ll observe the results.
• Adding taxiways to a runway does not improve runway overrun safety. Only a non-pilot, with no aviation training, qualifications and experience, like Mr. Hernandez would make this statement, without consulting experienced aviation professionals.
• The Airport is a very safe place, one of the safest in the city in fact. Nearby residents and businesses to SMO have been safe for at least 100 years of SMO air operations. Not a single resident on the ground has been injured or killed. Compare that with Santa Monica Police Department Records for surface traffic injuries and deaths between 1999 and 2014, 72 deaths and 8,535 injury collisions. According to the California Office of Traffic safety, Santa Monica is THE most dangerous City in all of California for pedestrian deaths and injuries, SECOND most dangerous city for cyclists out of 105 towns and cities reviewing 2014 data, the latest available.

The SMAA has contested the agreement between the FAA and the city in the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. "The case is expected to be heard in early 2018. We continue to believe the FAA and City “Consent decree” read "backroom deal” is against the public interest and will be overturned. In which case, the City of Santa Monica will be explaining to its taxpayers the $3.5m + runway shortening project plus the cost of returning the runway to its 4,993 feet length."

(Image from file)

FMI: www.smgov.net/Departments/Airport/Runway_Shortening/Updates.aspx, www.santamonicaairport.info, www.santamonicaairport.info