The National Business
Aviation Association has thanked Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-5-LA) for his
letter to federal officials expressing "deep concern" about the
unprecedented settlement between the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) and the city of Santa Monica, CA over the future of Santa
Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), and asked that the agencies provide
the rationale behind it.
The letter was sent to
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao and
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.
Under terms of the
settlement agreement announced in late January, the FAA will permit
city officials to reduce the length of SMO's sole runway from 4,973
feet to 3,500 feet - restricting access for many turbine-powered
aircraft - while requiring the city to operate the historic airfield
only through Dec. 31, 2028.
"From my perspective,
this agreement departs from the long-standing principle that the
federal government will preserve airport infrastructure and hold
airport sponsors accountable, especially when they have accepted
federal money and committed to deed-based obligations to operate an
airport in perpetuity," Abraham wrote. "Could you provide any
analysis that the FAA has utilized or prepared regarding the
consequences of its actions, such as negative impact on other
airports, area residents, businesses, general aviation, the flying
public, and the national aviation system?"
Shortly after the
settlement agreement was announced, NBAA joined with five other
aviation interests at SMO to file a petition asking the U.S. appeals
court to review the legality of the agreement. Earlier this month,
those stakeholders requested a stay against the FAA, as well as an
injunction against the city, to prevent further actions to reduce
the runway length while the appeals court conducts its review.
These actions by NBAA
and other stakeholders are just the latest responses to the city's
repeated attempts to restrict aviation operations at SMO, despite
its obligations under federal grant assurances to keep the airport
open through 2023, and in perpetuity through a 1948 instrument of
transfer.
"We thank Rep.
Abraham for calling on the DOT and the FAA to explain the rationale
behind this seeming departure from the agencies' own mandate to
preserve and protect airports like SMO, as part of our nation's
greater aviation infrastructure, and we eagerly await their
response," said NBAA President and CEO
Ed Bolen.
"NBAA also shares Rep. Abraham's concerns regarding the implications
that this may have for the future of other general aviation airports
across the nation."
The letter was also
sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and
the House Subcommittee on Aviation. |