Airport History
Santa Monica Airport History
Click here to read about the history of the Airport from 1919 through the 1990s.
Santa Monica Airport Conversion History
January 2023 – Santa Monica City Council Approves Process to Determine the Future of Santa Monica Airport – press release
March 2020 – Santa Monica Airport to Park Draft Conversion Report
History of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Dispute
2017 Consent Decree between the City of Santa Monica and the FAA
The City of Santa Monica entered into an agreement with the Federal Government in January 2017. Leading up to this agreement was the expiration of a previous agreement in 2015, a dispute about the City’s right to close the Airport, and multiple pending lawsuits involving the City and various aviation entities.
Consent Decree Highlights:
-Resolved pending litigation involving SMO
-Allowed the City to reduce the runway length from 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet and install Runway Safety Areas at both ends of the runway
-Requires the City to operate the Santa Monica Airport until December 31, 2028
2014 Measure LC Ballot Measure
Measure LC passed in November 2014 with 60% of the votes cast. It amended the City Charter to limit future development on Santa Monica Airport property.
“(1) prohibit new development on Airport land, except for parks, public open spaces and public recreational facilities, until the voters approve limits on the uses and development that may occur on the land; and (2) affirm the City Council’s authority to manage the Airport and to close all or part of it.”
