Santa Barbara received what some might consider an early Christmas gift Wednesday when Southwest Airlines announced it will begin serving Santa Barbara Airport in 2021.
Southwest’s announcement, which included its plan to serve Fresno Yosemite International Airport as well, comes as the airline continues to be hit by major turbulence from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives in the United States. Units.
Airport officials partnered with the business community to attract Santa Barbara to the country’s third-largest airline, including a commitment to make a significant financial contribution to the Dallas-based company’s initial costs.
Southwest did not announce any specific routes Wednesday, but sources told Noozhawk that the carrier is looking at service to Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego, as well as existing routes such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
“Our arrival in the heart of California, on both the Central Coast and the Central Valley, will complete nearly four decades of investment in our California customers and communities,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest’s executive vice president and commercial director. a press release.
“While other airlines seem to fall in love and get out of the state, we focus on increasing the scope of our low fares and flexible policies in places where we expect them to make a difference.”
According to Deanna Zachrisson, business development manager at Santa Barbara Airport, the current timeline should begin flights to the southwest from Santa Barbara in the second quarter of 2021.
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo called Southwest’s decision to “change the game of our entire region.”
“This news couldn’t have come at a better time,” he added. “We see the light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic and Southwest will come to Santa Barbara in the same way we all want to travel again.”
Southwest, which only flies several models of the Boeing 737 aircraft, would intend to announce the initial routes it will fly after the first of the year and has planned an approach to the Santa Barbara market on three levels, according to success efforts.
“Adding Southwest Airlines to the carrier list in the SBA is a huge success,” said Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce. “We are proud to find an airline that has convenient access to a network of destinations that drives economic growth in many sectors, including business, technology, hospitality and more.
“This achievement further positions our region as one of the country’s leading technology sectors, especially with such easy access to the San Francisco Bay Area.”
The arrival of Southwest will bring about 125 jobs to the community, Miller said, from pilots and flight attendants to ramp and gate workers and various support services.
“The arrival of Southwest Airlines is an important milestone for the Santa Barbara community, and not just for leisure travelers,” said Bill Macfadyen, Noozhawk editor and co-chair of the chamber council.
“In a year that has been so challenging, this partnership offers exciting opportunities for our regional business community and for some of our nation’s leading innovators and entrepreneurs as they look beyond the current economic and public health crises.”
Southwest takes a unique approach to business; above all, it does not allocate seats to its passengers, nor does it offer traditional first-class or business-class services.
Upon entering the market, Southwest will likely create price pressure on other airlines, especially if it flies to cities or regions they are already serving.
“Southwest Airlines’ entry into new markets is known for creating a ‘southwest effect’ by increasing competition and demand for air services, ”Zachrisson said.
Santa Barbara President Kathy Janega-Dykes predicts that “the arrival of Southwest Airlines will bring new customers to Santa Barbara hotels, restaurants, wineries and attractions. Its famous low fares and wide network will make us an even stronger competitor for leisure travelers, meetings and destination weddings.
Airlines currently operating at Santa Barbara Airport include Alaska, American and United, although all have truncated their schedules due to the coronavirus crisis.
Alaska offers daily flights to Portland and Seattle and announced last summer that it would begin flying to San Diego in late November, although the start of this service has been delayed.
American serves Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth, although it has reduced its flight schedule and reduced its fleet.
United flies to Denver and San Francisco, but has suspended flights to LAX, eliminating a key connection to other destinations in the county.
Delta Airlines, which returned to the Santa Barbara market in August 2019 after a long hiatus, suspended daily flights to Salt Lake City in July.
Contour Airlines, which served markets such as Oakland and Sacramento with small passing planes, stopped its local flights in late March.
Frontier Airlines also stopped seasonal service in Denver in June.
“It’s really been a pleasure to see this collaboration with the airport and the city and to visit Santa Barbara to make that happen,” Miller said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in March and April, airline passenger traffic fell in Santa Barbara, as it did across the country.
Airport officials estimated that traffic dropped to 95% before slowly starting to pick up; during Thanksgiving weekend, the number of passengers in Santa Barbara was still down about 65% compared to the previous year.
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