By Alan Levenson, Sunset Park
In The Argonaut (Oct. 2), City officials — with the apparent support of the Great Park Coalition — reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment” to close Santa Monica Airport on Dec. 31, 2028. But commitment is measured by actions, not press releases.
Right now, staff are rushing to approve a lease for JSX to fly the ATR-72, a regional commuter plane designed for 72–78 passengers. JSX is reconfiguring it to just 30 seats to skirt stricter FAA safety standards and squeeze it onto our short runway. That is not winding the airport down — it is expanding operations to the very last month.
And it isn’t only a large regional aircraft; the city claims it has no option but to approve. A Sikorsky S-76 — the same model Island Express was flying when Kobe Bryant was killed in 2020 — has recently been observed at SMO. It is a generally safe, twin-engine helicopter, but it is far louder and heavier than the smaller helicopters that typically operate at SMO. Operators such as Island and Maverick use the S-76 for regional commuter, VIP, and sightseeing services. Together, these aircraft represent a major change in daily use of Santa Monica Airport, with cumulative noise, pollution, and safety impacts that demand environmental review.
The Consent Decree requires nondiscrimination, not commuter expansion. CEQA, remediation, and safety reviews are not prohibited by the decree. As a former Airport Commissioner reminded Council, FAA Grant Assurance 22 expressly allows the City to impose “reasonable, and not unjustly discriminatory, conditions… necessary for the safe and efficient operation of the airport.” If the City truly wanted to safeguard closure, protect residents, and limit liability, it would exercise those powers, not bypass them.
True commitment means scrutiny and full investigation of impacts — using every process available, including CEQA, EIRs, and NEPA — setting hard lease end dates, and protecting residents from any expanded operations by every means at the City’s disposal. None of this violates the Consent Decree. The decree requires nondiscrimination, not blind expansion and turning a blind eye to safety and environmental impacts. Exercising environmental review and lease authority is fully consistent with the Consent Decree and safeguarding closure in 2028 — and it is the only honest way to match words with action.
