Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is a regional airport located west of downtown Santa Barbara, California, United States. The airfield covers of land and has three runways., effective January 22, 2026.
It is adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara and close to the city of Goleta. The airport was annexed to the city of Santa Barbara by a , corridor, mostly under the Pacific Ocean (a shoestring annexation). Most of the airport is above sea level and borders a wetland area, the Goleta Slough.
In 2024, the airport was categorized as a small hub primary airport by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with 696,396 enplanements. As of December 2024, the airport is served by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
History
Early years Aviation in the area began in 1914 when Lincoln J. Beachey flew an airplane across Goleta Valley. Two years later the Loughead brothers, who later changed their name to Lockheed, established a seaplane factory on State Street (Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company) and constructed a wooden ramp on West Beach to launch their planes. In 1928, Gordon Sackett and Royce Stetson landed a Hisso-powered airplane in a cow pasture near the corner of Hollister and Fairview Avenues and set up a flight school. That first airstrip marked the beginning of what was to become the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport.
As airplane manufacturing grew in the late 1930s the airstrip developed into an airfield. Western General set up shop and began producing Meteor airplanes, while Santa Barbara Airways' founder Frederick Stearns II built two additional runways and two large hangars. Stearns also installed the first radio equipment at the airfield.
As war approached the United States Government established a program to build 250 airports across the country on a cost-sharing basis with local governments. Thomas M. Storke secured Santa Barbara's enrollment in the program, and in 1941 groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport.
With the outbreak of WWII the airport became MCAS Santa Barbara (Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara) in 1942, an aviator training base for the U.S Marines. It was expanded further with the addition of many hangars and other buildings, and reverted to a civilian airport in 1946.Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara
The original Spanish-style terminal building, commissioned by United Airlines in 1942 was designed by William Edwards and Joseph Plunkett, an architectural team whose work, including the Arlington Theatre and the National Armory, helped shape the Mediterranean style of the city.
Postwar developments In 1947 the Santa Barbara Flying Club was formed to promote general aviation in the region.
Three runways are in use: 7/25 and two parallel runways 15/33. The airport originally had an additional strip: runway 3/21. The development of the University of California, Santa Barbara (to the southwest) and the construction of hangars in support of production of the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy (to the northeast) were factors in the removal of this runway. The Aero Spacelines hangars were later occupied by Tracor Aviation,https://collection.sfomuseum.org/objects/1762759951/ a company that modified airliners.
Additions to the historic terminal made in 1967 and 1976 were removed and the original building was restored. It then was raised to meet modern flood plain regulations, and moved and incorporated into the new terminal. The aircraft parking ramp was redesigned, and a new loop road and short term parking lot were constructed. The new terminal building features many environmentally sustainable elements and is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It was originally designed to feature four glass passenger boarding bridges and four hardstands, but due to decreased flight activity, three jetbridges were constructed with five hardstands.
An Airport Master Plan was prepared in 2017. In late 2019, the fourth boarding bridge was installed to replace a hardstand to help the airport cope with increased flight activity and upgauging. Relocation of the car rental lot in 2025 allowed all four jetbridges to accommodate mainline aircraft, up from two previously. Rental Lot expanded in size.
Services
Airline flights began in 1932 on Pacific Seaboard Air Lines. In 1933, Pacific Seaboard was operating two daily round trip flights with single engine Bellanca CH-300s Los Angeles–Santa Barbara–Santa Maria–San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles–Monterey–Salinas–San Jose–San Francisco. Pacific Seaboard later moved its entire operation to the eastern U.S. and became Chicago and Southern Air Lines, a large domestic and international airline acquired by and merged into Delta Air Lines in 1953. United Airlines began flights from Santa Barbara/Goleta in 1936.
Southwest Airways and successors
Until 2002, Santa Barbara Airport was on a jet route to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The airport was served by Southwest Airways Douglas DC-3s and Martin 4-0-4s and by successors Pacific Air Lines, Air West and Hughes Airwest with Fairchild F-27s and Boeing 727-100, Douglas DC-9-10 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets. The Southwest March 1, 1947, timetable lists two round trip DC-3s flying Los Angeles–Oxnard–Santa Barbara–Santa Maria–San Luis Obispo–Coalinga–Monterey–Santa Cruz/Watsonville–San Jose–San Francisco. Pacific Air Lines operated the first jet service into Santa Barbara in 1966 with Boeing 727-100s; the January 4, 1967, timetable lists 727s flying San Francisco–Monterey–Santa Barbara–Los Angeles. Air West served the airport with the 727-100s formerly operated by Pacific Air Lines while Hughes Airwest served Santa Barbara with DC-9-10s and DC-9-30s.February 1, 1976, Official Airlines Guide (OAG), North American edition
United The United Airlines timetable dated February 1, 1937, listed a daily service operated with a Douglas DC-3 on a routing of Los Angeles–Santa Barbara–San Francisco–Oakland and back. By 1972 the United timetable listed direct Boeing 727-100s to New York/Newark via LAX and Milwaukee. The primary United routes from Santa Barbara were nonstops to Los Angeles and San Francisco with some continuing to other cities. The first nonstop flights beyond California were United 727shttps://collection.sfomuseum.org/objects/1762828141/ to Denver in 1979 and to Chicago O'Hare in 1980. United ceased mainline jet service to SBA in 1990. Shuttle by United, a division of United Airlines (later renamed United Shuttle) flew Boeing 737-300s and 737-500s to San Francisco in the 1990s and early 2000s. United then turned all service over to SkyWest Airlines, which now operates as United Express. Service was originally operated with Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia commuter propjets to SFO and LAX and CRJ200 regional jets to Denver. This was later turned over to a mix of SkyWest CRJ200, CRJ700, and E-175 regional jet aircraft. On June 8, 2017, United resumed seasonal mainline service to San Francisco and Denver. United resumed daily service to Chicago O'Hare on April 6, 2026.
American American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80s started flying to Dallas/Fort Worth in 1984,https://collection.sfomuseum.org/objects/1762760647/ some on a triangle route DFW–Burbank–SBA–DFW or DFW–Bakersfield–SBA–DFW. American also flew MD-80s to Chicago O'Hare via Ontario. After American Airlines dropped mainline service to SBA, American Eagle Airlines, its affiliate, began flying Saab 340Bs and later Embraer ERJ-140s between SBA and LAX. American Eagle flew Canadair CRJ700s between SBA and DFW until April 2009. The airline flew SBA–LAX until November 14, 2012, when SkyWest Airlines (American Eagle) took over with Canadair CRJ200s. American Eagle suspended its flights to Los Angeles on March 31, 2014, ending American Airlines service at the airport. With the merger of US Airways and American, American Airlines returned to SBA with nonstop American Eagle regional jet service to Phoenix. In June 2016, American Eagle relaunched nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth on Mesa Airlines Canadair CRJ900s. On April 4, 2017, American Airlines began a seasonal mainline Airbus A319 flight to DFW, the first mainline service since 2015, when Frontier Airlines left Santa Barbara. In September 2019, the DFW flights have been replaced with once daily Boeing 737s.
Alaska Alaska-owned regional airline Horizon Air was the first Alaska Airlines affiliate to connect SBA with Seattle and Portland, flying Canadair CRJ700s. From 2008 to 2010, Horizon also connected Santa Barbara non-stop to Sacramento and direct to Portland and/or Seattle. In 2011 SkyWest Airlines took over the Horizon CRJ700 jets and later replaced them with Embraer E-175s, replacing Horizon for all Alaska-branded flying into Santa Barbara and continues to operate flights via a capacity purchase agreement with Alaska Airlines. From June 15, 2017, to August 26, 2017, Horizon returned to Santa Barbara by taking over the Seattle route from SkyWest with its own Embraer E-175s. On August 27, 2017, Alaska Airlines began mainline service to Santa Barbara for the first time when it took over the Seattle route from Horizon with its own Boeing 737s. Currently, Alaska Airlines serves Seattle twice daily with E-175s and Boeing 737s. On April 22, 2026, Alaska Airlines resumed service to San Diego twice a day, with Embraer E-175s.
Sun Country Sun Country Airlines was serving Santa Barbara twice weekly in 2018 between August and December to Minneapolis–St. Paul with Boeing 737s. Service began on August 16, 2018, and ended on December 9, 2018. On May 22, 2019, Sun Country resumed seasonal service with an increase to four times a week for the 2019 season. At the end of the 2019 season, Sun Country indicated that it did not plan to return.
Frontier Frontier Airlines flew to Denver until 2015 with the Embraer 190 as well as Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 jets. After a multi-year hiatus, Frontier resumed service on August 21, 2018, with three times a week year-round service to Denver with the Airbus A320. In November 2019, they went seasonal and planned to return in 2020. However, due to COVID-19, no new date has been announced for the resumption of their service.
Contour Contour Airlines began service on October 16, 2018. They flew daily to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and ten times a week to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport with 30-seat Embraer 135 regional jets. Contour then announced an expansion of Santa Barbara as a focus city, and added a flight to Sacramento International Airport in April 2019. However, Contour then ended all service on March 31, 2020, and terminated all contracts with employees and the airport.
Delta Delta Air Lines began three daily flights to Salt Lake City International Airport in August 2019, via Delta Connection partner SkyWest Airlines. The flights were operated with Embraer 175 aircraft. However, because of COVID-19, the airline then suspended service indefinitely on July 8, 2020. On September 15, 2023, it was announced Delta Air Lines would return to Santa Barbara with twice daily service to Salt Lake City and once-daily service to Atlanta in summer 2024 on A220-300 aircraft. That service started on June 7, 2024.. On January 20, 2026, Delta once again cancelled its daily service to Atlanta due to logistical challenges.
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines started operating flights into Santa Barbara on April 12, 2021, and has daily nonstop flights to Las Vegas (LAS), Oakland (OAK), Denver (DEN), and Sacramento (SMF). Service is operated with Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, and Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Service to Phoenix was added on August 5th, 2025, with a non stop flight every Sunday.
Locally based commuter airlines