By Jorge Casuso
December 3, 2025 -- A public charter air carrier offering flights in 30-seat turboprops has entered into a three-year lease agreement to operate at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), City officials announced Tuesday.
The lease and accompanying Commercial Operations Permit (COP) allow JetSuiteX (JSX) to operate through November 30, 2028, one month before City officials can close the century old airport under a 2017 Federal Consent Decree with the FAA.
The documents were finalized after "a rigorous technical and legal review" that included a "multi-disciplinary assessment covering safety, environmental, traffic, and policy considerations," City officials said.
“All Santa Monica Airport leases will expire, or be terminated by the City, before the closure date,” City Manager Oliver Chi said in a statement.
“By adhering to the Consent Decree today, we are safeguarding the City’s ability to close the airport on Dec. 31, 2028.”
The execution of the lease with JSX was announced three weeks after resident activists opposed to increased aviation activity at the airport filed a lawsuit in LA County Superior Court to require "full review and accountability."
The plaintiffs -- who include NoJets founder Alan Levenson and Zina Josephs, a leader of Friends of Sunset Park -- argue that JSX's "heavier aircraft represents a fundamental shift from general aviation to commercial air service" at Santa Monica Airport.
The actions taken by the City came before "any independent environmental review" of JSX's proposal and "effectively convert SMO from a general-aviation airport into a regional passenger terminal," the plaintiffs wrote in a November 8 email announcing the lawsuit.
"In this case, the City filed a Notice of Exemption from the state-mandated environmental review process, CEQA, claiming its approval of JSX was ministerial, not discretionary, and therefore exempt from review.
"That determination contradicts the City’s Charter, leasing policy, and minimum leasing standards, as well as how other California airports handled the same JSX operations," the plaintiffs said.
The Plaintiffs note that "similar JSX operations in Orange County and San Diego County underwent full Environmental Impact Reports."
Santa Monica officials said Tuesday that "the City determined no new environmental review was required under CEQA, as the permit does not represent a new project or an expansion of existing use."
The City's actions, officials said, comply with Federal law and the 2017 Consent Decree that "prohibit Santa Monica from denying airport access to qualified aeronautical users who meet established standards."
Officials also said that the City’s review "confirmed that JSX’s proposal is consistent with the City’s Airport Leasing and Licensing Policy and its Minimum Standards for Commercial Aeronautical Services."
"JSX must comply with all airport operational restrictions, including hours of operation, noise limits, and environmental standards," officials said.
"City staff will continue monitoring compliance throughout the lease term and provide regular public updates."
JSX officials announced last week that the carrier will begin operating at Santa Monica Airport on December 19 with daily service to Las Vegas with one flight per day ("New Air Carrier to Launch this Month," December 1, 2025).
The Texas-based company is reintroducing large turboprops to the U.S. market with its ATR 42-600, which has been reconfigured to offer the 30-seat maximum allowed under FAA's charter rules and features a low-noise, low-emissions design.