A Stunning Betrayal: FAA Caves In To Santa Monica NIMBY Demands | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-04.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.16.25

Airborne-AffordableFliers-04.17.25

SunnFun-DayFour-04.03.25

Sat, Jan 28, 2017

A Stunning Betrayal: FAA Caves In To Santa Monica NIMBY Demands

Aviation Community Stunned... Unexpected Announcement Made Without Av-Stakeholder Consult

The news has caught the aviation community without warning... and apparently without significant consult as the FAA sent out a press release announcing they had given into the demands and rhetoric of the anti-Santa Monica Airport movement -- who often campaigned without fact or reason.

But here it is... the FAA statement intones that, "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the City of Santa Monica, California have reached a settlement agreement to resolve longstanding litigation over the future of Santa Monica Airport.

The agreement requires the city to maintain continuous and stable operation of the airport for 12 years, until December 31, 2028, and after that the City has the right to close the airport.

In recognition of the city's authority to make decisions about land use, the agreement allows Santa Monica to shorten the airport's single runway to 3,500 feet from its current length of 4,973 feet. The city is obligated to enter into leases with private aeronautical service providers to ensure continuity of those services until the runway is shortened and it decides to provide such services on its own."

Even more bizarre, the FAA included the following statement as a final part of the presser... one that seems to defy fact, history and reality.

"Mutual cooperation between the FAA and the city enabled us to reach this innovative solution, which resolves longstanding legal and regulatory disputes," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. "This is a fair resolution for all concerned because it strikes an appropriate balance between the public's interest in making local decisions about land use practices and its interests in safe and efficient aviation services."

ANN is researching the matter aggressively and has heard from members of the general aviation community, the pro-Santa Monica airport organizations, and others that had a reason to believe that the future of Santa Monica was critical to the welfare of the aviation world... a future that now seems cloudier than it was just a few hours ago. We are evalauing those responses and their import now.

Further; as we understand it, this decision was reached without significant/recent consult with major aviation stakeholder... which seesm to create some potential legal difficulties/conflicts with the FAA's grant assurance procedures and requirements.

Regardless; it certainly appears that the FAA has made a strange anti-aviation decision with far-reaching and overtly negative consequences for the Aero-Verse... and at a time when we were just beginning to think that the foolishness and errant ways of the FAA were mostly in the past. Now... not so much.

MORE (MUCH!) info to follow.

FMI: www.faa.gov, http://www.santamonicaairport.info/

 


Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.22.25): Landing Area

Landing Area Any locality either on land, water, or structures, including airports/heliports and intermediate landing fields, which is used, or intended to be used, for the landing>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.22.25)

Aero Linx: North American Trainer Association NATA is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the preservation, restoration and safe operation and enjoyment o>[...]

Airborne 04.23.25: CAF C-47 Skytrain, Tough Low-Level Drone Regs, NEW NOTAMs

Also: Astronaut Pettit & Cosmonauts Return, Malaysia Wants Boeing Slots, Germany Nixes Typhoon Sale, More Boeing Woes The CAF’s restored C-47 Skytrain “Ready 4 Duty>[...]

Airborne 04.21.25: Charter Bust, VeriJet Woes, Visual Approach Risks

Also: Sun Country CEO to Spirit, Indian AF Rafale Jets, Archer-United, Avflight Grows Federal prosecutors recently filed a lawsuit against an uncertified charter flight company and>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.23.25)

“The Notice to Airmen system is deeply outdated and showing serious cracks. Over the last few years, we’ve seen multiple system outages ground regional air travel, crea>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC