One of the best parts of my recent trip wasn't just Cozumel—it was flying home from Scottsdale directly into Santa Monica Airport.
After spending a couple of days in Arizona following my trip to Cozumel, I headed to Scottsdale Airport and boarded a JSX flight to Santa Monica. The convenience was remarkable. Instead of flying into LAX, waiting for a shuttle, and then catching an Uber from the rideshare lot, I was home in about 10 minutes. It was one of the smoothest and most enjoyable travel experiences I've had.
One thing that surprised me was the cost. Once I factored in the value of free checked baggage, arriving only about 20 minutes before departure, the ability to bring my own beverages onboard, and not having to worry about the typical TSA liquid restrictions, the overall cost was about the same as flying through a major commercial airport. You don't have to be a celebrity or a business executive to fly JSX. For anyone who lives near Santa Monica or on Los Angeles' Westside, it can be a convenient, cost-effective, and low-stress alternative to LAX.
The experience also served as a reminder that Santa Monica Airport is currently scheduled to close on December 31, 2028, with the 227-acre property planned for redevelopment as a public park.
Beyond passenger convenience, the airport serves several other important functions. It supports aircraft maintenance, fueling, charter operations, flight instruction, and other aviation-related businesses that provide local jobs. It also serves as a training airport for student pilots and flight schools, and its closure would shift more training activity to surrounding airports. Visitors arriving by private aircraft also contribute to the local economy by staying in local hotels and patronizing restaurants and businesses.
The airport also plays a role in regional emergency preparedness. Located on the Westside, it provides an aviation resource that could be valuable if a major earthquake or other disaster were to limit access to LAX or make road travel difficult.
Since the airport opened in 1919, aircraft accidents have occurred, but there have been no reported fatalities involving a person on the ground struck by an aircraft.
Have you ever flown into or out of Santa Monica Airport? What was your experience?
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