Santa Monica Municipal Airport

Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) sits in Santa Monica, 3 miles east of the Pacific and 11 miles west of downtown LA. It is one of the most historic GA airports in the United States — a former Douglas Aircraft factory site — and was for decades a heavily-used celebrity bizjet field for the west-side LA market. The airport's future is constrained: a settlement with the city shortens the runway to 3,500 feet and the field is scheduled for closure on or after December 31, 2028, after which the land becomes a public park. The runway 03/21 is now 3,500 feet (down from 4,973) following the 2017 settlement-driven shortening, which means jet operations are sharply curtailed — single-engine and light-twin GA traffic dominates, light jets like the Phenom 100 and HondaJet can operate carefully, and most charter brokers now route west-side LA bookings through KVNY or KSNA instead. Atlantic Aviation operates the FBO. The strict noise framework and the political shadow of imminent closure define the operational character. Field elevation is 177 feet, no density-altitude concerns. Santa Monica beach is 10 minutes; downtown LA is 20–35 minutes; LAX is 15. For most current charter movements, KSMO no longer makes practical sense; the page is included here for completeness and historical reference.