The 107-year-old Santa Monica Airport in California is set to close at the end of 2028, following roughly 50 years of complaints from local residents. The 227-acre airport, which has no commercial flights and is primarily used by small private planes, will be converted into a large park space.
The airport has been in operation since at least 1919. The Douglas Aircraft Company, established in Santa Monica around the same time, manufactured transport planes and bombers during World War II, employing up to 44,000 workers at its peak. Santa Monica's population has grown from 15,000 in 1924 to 94,000 in 2023.
Regulations restricting airport operations began in the 1970s to protect neighbours' quality of life. In the 1990s, Los Angeles residents sued Santa Monica over adverse health impacts and nuisance. In 2014, 60% of Santa Monica voters approved a ballot measure prohibiting new development on airport land except for parks and open spaces.
A 2017 settlement between the Federal Aviation Administration and Santa Monica allowed the city to close the airport after December 31, 2028. The city has been consulting locals on the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project and recently released a draft Framework Diagram outlining eight districts, including 'Immersive Nature' and areas for sports, arts, and culture.
