Los Angeles traffic is an exercise in patience, and the region’s major international hub, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), is infamous for its curbside gridlock. But about 10 miles north of LAX, near the beaches of Santa Monica, lies a little-known airfield.
Santa Monica Airport (SMO) sits in the middle of one of the most coveted residential areas of Southern California. Yet throughout the airport’s 103-year-old history, SMO hasn’t had any scheduled passenger service—until now. On December 19, boutique carrier JSX launched its inaugural flight from Santa Monica to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. The flight is operated by an ATR 42-600 turboprop with 30 seats (in a comfortable one-two configuration).
Weeks after its Santa Monica debut, the public charter company already plans to add more routes and increase frequency. Starting January 22, JSX will start operating flights between Santa Monica and Scottsdale Airport (SCF) in Arizona. That same day, a second daily flight to Las Vegas will begin, followed by a third daily service on February 5. Tickets for flights from Santa Monica to Las Vegas and Scottsdale start at $215 one-way.
“Santa Monica Airport is such a great complement to the Los Angeles Basin,” David Drabinsky, chief commercial officer at JSX, told Afar in an interview. “We know travelers don’t love making the drive to LAX, and we want to be the convenient option.”
JSX is introducing a new route between Santa Monica and Scottsdale, Arizona, making it that much easier to get from the sea to the desert.
Photo by Robert Murray/Unsplash
A new plane offers access to more destinations
In June, JSX unveiled plans to take delivery of its first-ever turboprop, the ATR 42-600 (a plane with a propeller attached to its jet engine). Previously, the carrier had only flown Embraer ERJ-135 and ERJ-145 aircraft, more traditional regional jets with 30 seats per plane.
However, turboprops like the ATR only need half the runway space that larger Embraer jets need for takeoff and landing. That opens the door for flying out of airports like Santa Monica’s, due to its short 3,500-foot runway. JSX plans to lease a total of four ATR aircraft over the coming months, with an option for 25 additional planes in the coming years.
Notably, these prop planes double the number of airports JSX can serve, according to Drabinsky: “What we’re really excited for is what this airplane can do, like for mountain destinations with high‑elevation airports and shorter runways. That’s very, very appealing to our customer base.”
For nearly a decade now, JSX has primarily flown in and out of smaller, private terminals, saving valuable time for travelers. Check-in formalities can be completed 20 minutes ahead of a domestic departure, with virtually no security lines,
In 2023, the carrier was one of the first worldwide to equip planes with high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi. (SMO flights won’t have Starlink until next month.) After touring the aircraft at Santa Monica Airport earlier this week, it’s safe to say that legroom is similar to what you’d find on a domestic first-class flight with a major U.S. airline. The interior is very similar in feel to what JSX offers on its Embraer jets. And as with the Embraer product, customers are offered complimentary cocktails and snacks on board, along with in-seat personal device charging, and two complimentary checked bags.
The new flights will take place on ATR 42-600 aircraft, which have propellers attached to the jet engines.
Photo by Tiffany Rose/Courtesy of JSX
The future of Santa Monica Airport is uncertain
There’s a slight wrinkle to all of these plans at SMO. For decades, Santa Monica residents have raised concerns about aircraft noise and the risks of accidents in a tightly packed urban environment. In the 2010s, voters and city leaders pushed aggressively to shut the airport down.
After prolonged legal battles, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the City of Santa Monica reached an agreement allowing the airport to continue operating temporarily—but only until December 31, 2028. That means that JSX may not have a future at the airport after 2028.
“Our plans at JSX are going through when that airport closure is, and we’ll let the people of Santa Monica decide after that,” Drabinsky told Afar.
In the Los Angeles region, JSX already operates out of Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), with a private facility on the southwest side of the airport. Across its entire network, the company has up to 140 public charter flights daily to 28 destinations throughout the West, South, and East Coast. Now, with the ATR planes joining the fleet, that network is poised to grow at a rapid clip, potentially into new and exciting markets, whether or not Santa Monica will continue to be a hub in the coming years.
