New Poll Reveals Strong Voter Support for Keeping Santa Monica Airport Open

Santa Monica Airport reverts to the City on January 1, 2028 after 120 years as an airport. A few residents want to turn it into high density housing or a park or both. Others want to keep it an airport. A new poll reveals that they are in the majority.

A newly released independent poll indicates that a solid majority of Santa Monica voters want to keep the Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) operating in some form, directly challenging years of city planning that has leaned toward eventual closure.

Conducted in late January 2026 and released around January 28, the survey found that 67 percent of respondents favor maintaining the airport, either in its current configuration or with modifications, while just 25 percent support shutting it down entirely by the 2028 deadline to convert the site into public parkland.

The results stand in stark contrast to the long-held position of many city officials and advocacy groups who have promoted full closure as the preferred path forward. For decades, Santa Monica's leadership has pursued a strategy of phasing out general aviation operations at the 227-acre facility, citing noise complaints, safety concerns, and the desire to reclaim the land for open space. The poll's findings suggest that "conventional wisdom" on the issue may no longer align with the views of the broader electorate.

Supporters of the airport, including local pilots, businesses that rely on it for charter flights and medical transport, and residents who value its economic contributions, have long argued that closure would eliminate a vital regional asset without adequately addressing replacement needs. The facility generates jobs, supports emergency services, and provides convenient access for general aviation in the densely populated Westside. Proponents say the poll reflects growing recognition of these benefits amid ongoing debates over land use priorities.

Opponents of keeping the airport open, including environmental groups and some neighborhood associations, maintain that the site's conversion to parkland would provide significant public health and recreational advantages in an area short on green space. They point to historical agreements and voter-approved measures from prior decades that set the stage for eventual closure. The poll, however, indicates that support for that vision has weakened, with only a quarter of voters backing full shutdown by the target date.

The survey results are likely to intensify discussions at upcoming City Council meetings and could influence future policy decisions on the airport's fate. City officials have not yet issued a formal response to the poll, but the numbers suggest a potential shift in public sentiment that may complicate long-standing plans. As the 2028 deadline approaches, the findings underscore the ongoing tension between preservation of aviation infrastructure and the push for expanded public open space in Santa Monica.