Story ID: 
AOPA seeks status in SMO noise dispute
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has submitted a motion to serve as a friend of the court in the City of Santa Monica’s appeal to uphold i
Word Count: 160
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has submitted a motion to serve as a friend of the court in the City of Santa Monica’s appeal to uphold its ordinance banning Category C and D jet traffic from Santa Monica Airport. Last year, the city tried to enact the ordinance, but the FAA issued a cease-and-desist order that was later backed by a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court.  In the motion, AOPA legal counsel Kathy Yodice explained, “The implications of this case extend beyond the instant dispute between the city and the FAA, and any decision by this court could potentially affect how similar circumstances are treated elsewhere. If the city of Santa Monica is allowed to implement its desired bans, such precedent could provide airport sponsors nationwide with a basis to implement restrictions at a publicly funded airport, an action that should be and always has been within the exclusive province of the FAA.”