Agency Says City Accepted Grant in 2003 That Carried A 20-Year Obligation

The FAA ruled on Friday that Santa Monica Airport must remain open through 2023. But if recent history is any guide, that won't stop anti-airport city officials and activists from continuing to try to close the airport.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the FAA issued a ruling indicating that the provisions of a grant awarded in 2003 for $240,600 require that the airport remain open for 20 years. But those who favor shuttering the facility say that all federal obligations have been met, and that the airport could have been closed earlier this year. Opponents say the airport is dangerous, dirty and noisy, and should not remain open in an area with high residential density that has grown up around the airport.

In July of 2014, a group of pilots and airport supporters, including actor Harrison Ford, airport tenants, and aviation advocacy organizations filed a complaint with the FAA saying that the 2003 grant extended the expiration date of a previous grant from 2014 to 2023 ... a position with which the FAA agreed. The city, however, said the additional money was merely an amendment to the original 1994 grant of $1.6 million, and should not have extended the deadline.

Mayor Kevin McKeown said the city must now appeal to the agency for additional hearings so that "we can get the matter fairly adjudicated outside of the FAA's own tightly controlled administrative processes."

"Unending bureaucratic review is no answer to Santa Monica's immediate safety and pollution concerns regarding the airport and the land we own," McKeown said.

An attorney for the pro-airport side said that the ruling would potentially slow the city's "starvation strategy" that includes reducing runway length, limited fuel sales, elimination of flight schools, and regulation of emissions from airplanes.

Santa Monica Airport sees an average of 300 operations per day.

In a news release, the NBAA applauded the FAA's ruling concerning KSMO.

“America’s airports are part of a federal transportation system, and this determination highlights FAA’s recognition of the overall importance of grant commitments and demonstrates to other municipalities that recently have attempted to impose illegal restrictions, such as the town of East Hampton, NY, the significance of the commitment that airport owners and operators make when accepting federal funds,” said NBAA Chief Operating Officer Steve Brown.

“We hope that the city will end its short-sighted efforts to restrict operations at SMO, especially now that they have been declared impermissible," Brown added. "These measures result in disputes and litigations that are a waste of public dollars.”

KSMO is able to accommodate a wide range of business and personal aircraft. The airport serves as a base to numerous aircraft, businesses, flight schools, provides jobs and serves as an important economic contributor to the community. Additionally, SMO is an important reliever airport for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other airports in the Los Angeles area.

In addition to the 20-year grant commitments, the 1948 deed, which transferred control of SMO from the federal government to the city, after substantial improvements made by the federal government during World War II, requires the airport to be maintained for public use in perpetuity. The city unsuccessfully sought to challenge that deed in federal district court, and is currently pursuing an appeal.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.smgov.net, www.nbaa.org