Santa Barbara Airport is adding two new flight destinations with the return of Delta Air Lines, which will begin providing daily nonstop flights to and from Atlanta and Salt Lake City starting June 2024.
The new services were announced Friday, and with the return of Delta — which previously served Santa Barbara Airport with flights to Salt Lake City prior to the pandemic — the once-small-time local airport will now be served by the four largest airlines in the U.S. (along with United, American, and Southwest).
“We warmly welcome Delta Air Lines back to Santa Barbara, and we are honored by their incredible commitment to our community,” Airport Director Chris Hastert said. “This two-hub announcement demonstrates their desire to serve the needs of all travelers to/from this area with the highest level of service and connections available.”
While Delta offered direct flights to Salt Lake City in 2019 and 2020, the nonstop services to Atlanta will be a brand-new destination and will officially be the longest direct flights to and from the Santa Barbara Airport at more than 2,000 miles.
The new destinations could also bring a new influx of visitors to Santa Barbara and provide a boost to the local tourism industry.
“We are looking forward to our hotels, restaurants, and attractions benefiting from businesses brought by these new flights,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara. “The new routes allow for better connectivity through popular hub airports and provide improved access to visitor markets in the Southeast. For Santa Barbara residents, it will be more convenient than ever before for family and friends visiting from these regions, and to take trips themselves.”
With the addition of Atlanta and Salt Lake City, there are now 11 destinations that offer nonstop service to and from Santa Barbara, including Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Starting June 7, 2024, there will be one flight each morning to Atlanta departing at 7:25 a.m. followed by a return flight every night from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Santa Barbara departing at 7:23 p.m. and arriving at 8:55 p.m.
Salt Lake City flights will be offered twice daily, with flights leaving Santa Barbara at 6 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. each day and return flights departing from Salt Lake City International Airport at 11:15 a.m. and 10:45 p.m. and arriving at 12:18 p.m. and 11:51 p.m., respectively.
Tickets will be available to book starting September 16, and service will start full-time in June. For information on detailed flight schedules to and from Santa Barbara, visit flysba.santabarbaraca.gov/.