Santa Monica Airport (SMO) is a general aviation airport in the city of Santa Monica, about 2 miles (3 km) from the Pacific shoreline and around 19 miles (30 km) east of Malibu. Its single asphalt runway, 3/21, measures 1,067 metres (3,500 feet), and the airport sits at an elevation of 177 feet (54 metres) at coordinates 34.0158° N, 118.4514° W. The runway was shortened from just under 5,000 feet in December 2017, under an agreement between the city and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The shorter runway rules out most jets, so Santa Monica now mainly serves turboprops, piston aircraft and some light jets, while larger business aircraft use Van Nuys. Strict local rules apply, including a single-event noise limit and a curfew with no take-offs or engine starts between 11 pm and 7 am on weekdays, or until 8 am at weekends. The airport is scheduled to close on 31 December 2028, and the city plans to turn the site into a park. Until then, it is the closest airfield to the Westside. The Jet Collection checks whether your aircraft can operate at Santa Monica and, if not, arranges Van Nuys and a car to the coast.
