The FAA, rather than testing the validity of the 1948 Instrument of transfer in the 9th Circuit Court as we anticipated, has, instead, caved in to the the City of Santa Monica at the eleventh hour and, in a classic backroom deal, agreed to allow the City to close the airport as early as 2028. An additional concession allows the City to shorten the runway in the immediate future from a mile to just 3500 feet which eliminates the larger business jets.

According to this shameful document the City will also have the right as an exclusive proprietor to oust Atlantic Aviation and American Flyers provided the City can supply the services currently provided by these FBOs. All of the pending legal actions are being tossed out and the allegations of City wrongdoing swept under the rug. The FAA is trusting the City to do what is right by the aviation community. Does anyone want to take that bet?

What does seem apparent is that we have ten years to convince the citizens of Santa Monica that the airport remains the best and highest use for the land. This will require a degree of enlightened self-interest seldom exhibited by citizens of any town these days. In the meantime, we have no choice but to carry this fight to the highest levels of our Federal Government.

Things are in flux from one end of America to the other right now. We must resolve to ride it out and work to the best of our abilities with the assets we have to save our irreplaceable airport even though the road is steeper now. This eleventh hour deal was shoehorned in just as America changes administrations in what appears again to be an attempt to pre-emp the Department of 
Transportation in this matter.

Finally, they have a saying in Vermont: "If you want a helping hand, look on the end of your arm!" It always seems to come down to that in the end. We're rolling up our sleeves-prepared to go mano a mano and will be informing you shortly on how you can best help us apply pressure at the Federal level to redress this inequity. The 'fat lady' has not sung.