Will Reopen With Shorter Runway

The city of Santa Monica, CA is proceeding with Phase 2 of the runway shortening project at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO), completely closing the airfield for 10 days beginning at 9 p.m. (PST) on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The airport will be closed to all traffic until 7 a.m. (PST) on Saturday, Dec. 23, when it will reopen with its sole runway reduced from 4,973 feet in length to 3,500 feet.

“NBAA members and operators that are unable to operate on a 3,500-foot runway, should plan to relocate their aircraft on or before Dec. 12,” said Alex Gertsen, NBAA’s director of airports and infrastructure.

According to Gertsen, the city is choosing not to wait for the resolution of ongoing litigation by NBAA and other parties that challenges the legality of the unprecedented settlement agreement reached earlier this year between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica over the future of the airport. Last week, NBAA filed its final brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, reasserting its position that the agency failed to comply with numerous federal statutory requirements in reaching the January 2017 settlement.

“Should NBAA prevail in court, the city of Santa Monica is gambling with more than $3 million of airport funds for this potentially temporary runway shortening, which mostly involves changes in runway markings and lighting, taxiway configuration and relocation of navaids,” said Gertsen.

“The 10-day closure and runway shortening will have a significant impact on the local companies that rely on SMO, small businesses at the airport and operators that depend on SMO as a gateway to the Los Angeles area. That role has earned SMO a ‘reliever’ designation by the FAA,” said Stacy Howard, NBAA Western regional representative. “NBAA is concerned about the impact to other Southern California airports and the effect on the national airspace system. NBAA will continue to use all means available to fight access restrictions at SMO and other airports around the country.”

(Image provided with NBAA news release)

FMI: www.nbaa.org