City Takes Matters Into Their Own Hands

The Los Angeles Times reports the FAA took legal action Wednesday to overturn a ban on Category C and D jets at California's Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO).

The ban was passed unanimously by Santa Monica City Council in November, and would include many popular business aircraft -- including the Gulfstream IV, Challenger and Citation X -- with approach speeds of 121 knots or more. Category C and D jets account for about 9,000 operations at SMO, or about 7% of traffic at the airport.

"We've worked very hard for nearly six years to reach an agreement with the city of Santa Monica that addresses their concerns and maintains access to the airport for all kinds of aircraft," said FAA Western Region spokesman Ian Gregor. "We made multiple proposals to the city, all of which the city rejected."

The city calls it a safety issue, especially for residents near the runway ends. By enforcing the ban, city officials face outcomes including a federal lawsuit, misdemeanor charges, fines and even jail time.

Santa Monica City Attorney Marsha Jones Moutrie looked to the headlines to craft a response to the FAA threat. In her letter, Moutrie wrote that the FAA, "...is already under criticism and pressure from Congress for putting aviation industry convenience ahead of public safety. The city urges you to change your course and steadfastly put public safety first."

Regarding the city's decision to press the issue, and force a confrontation with a federal agency, Moutrie waxed philosophical. "We will start enforcing the law and see what happens. This is the council's decision," she said.

Critics of larger jets at SMO say the airport lacks adequate safety buffers, creating the potential for an accident.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.smgov.net