FAA, Santa Monica go head-to-head

The Santa Monica, Calif. city staff has asked the city council to reject the FAA’s recommendation to install two 155-foot engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) beds at each end of the Santa Monica Airport runway, calling the EMAS beds “inadequate to provide a meaningful safety enhancement to the runway.” About 200 people from the local area held a demonstration during the August 28 Santa Monica city council meeting, opposing the airport, according to NBAA. Local residents have mounted an effort to reduce the number and size of jets flying into Santa Monica. Local advocacy groups are asking residents to write letters to the Santa Monica City Council, to include a request that “safety-inappropriate aircraft should be clearly identified and banned by ordinance, not left to pilot discretion.” NBAA said it is discussing this issue with the FAA.