Officials: ‘This Airport Is The Lifeblood Of The Community’

ANN April 1 Special Edition

After years of fighting to close Santa Monica Airport, the city council has reversed course and announced a new airport master plan that includes a substantial expansion of the facility.

Mayor Kevin McKeown  said that he had tired of the years of conflict and legal wrangling in what he now admits has been a Quixotic quest to have the airport closed. “Even when you’re city hall, you sometimes can’t fight city hall,” McKeown told ANN. “And when it became clear that the airport really is the lifeblood of the community, supporting hundreds of jobs and connecting us to the world, well I just decided that it was time to not only embrace this jewel, but to let out the reins and let it grow.”

McKeown was reportedly seen recently at the airport with well-known local pilot Harrison Ford. The two shook hands and then climbed into Ford’s DHC-2 Beaver for a few trips around the patch.

In announcing his support for the airport, McKeown directed the airport commission to immediately begin work on a new master plan to include a significant expansion of the airport, including a possible third runway, as well as a public relations campaign for the plan.

“Thank God that’s over,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We were prepared for the long haul. I thought we’d never convince him.”

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said he had mixed emotions about the decision. “While we’re glad that the airport will remain open, we could have used the AIP money they would have had to pay back if they had closed it,” he said.

McKeown said he knows there will still be opposition to the plan, but he’s confident that they can be won over by a positive message for the airport. “It just seems so obvious now,” he said. “Those aviation guys were right all along.”

(Image from file)

FMI:  www.santamonicalovesitsairport.com