The editorial board of the Daily Breeze, the local news source for Los Angeles County’s South Bay region, questions whether the “contentious, decades-long battle over operations at the Santa Monica Airport” is actually over, even with the FAA caving to the city’s demands to close the airport in 2028.
“Many questions remain concerning the airport, which has played an important role in Southern California’s air transportation system. Lawsuits also may cloud the airport’s future,” the editorial notes.
The editorial then gives a brief history of the airport before getting to the crux of the issues surrounding its closure: “Many observers feel that Santa Monica Airport is critical to serving regional transportation needs. No commercial jets use the airport, but it is used by corporate and chartered jets and recreational aircraft.
“There were approximately 90,000 takeoffs and landings by these aircraft in 2015,” the editorial continues. “If Santa Monica Airport closes, where will these planes go?”
“A likely place is Los Angeles International, an already busy airport which would see more private jets competing with commercial jets,” the newspaper officials write. “Other regional airports also could be affected.”
Read the full editorial here.