(stock photo)
By edhat staff
After less than a year of non-stop service to Salt Lake City, Delta is pulling out of Santa Barbara Airport.
This week Delta Air Lines announced the suspension of service to 11 U.S. cities following a big blow to the airline industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effective July 8, Delta plans to reduce its domestic flying by 80% for the second quarter and international flying by 90%.
Delta announced in January 2019 the new nonstop flight destination to Salt Lake City would arrive at Santa Barbara Airport by August 12 with three daily non-stop schedules.
Until recently, the commercial airlines Alaska, American, Contour, Delta, Frontier and United flew in and out of our small airport on a daily or near daily basis. At least 200 private planes/jets are based there also, many with daily flights in and out. It was a lot of planes, pollution, and noise for the coastal communities surrounding the airport. It makes sense to “downsize” to one or two large carriers for connecting flights .
Hooray. Less noise.
If only we could ground the damn non-medical helicopters that fly over the beach and the neighborhoods along the 101.
Too bad. I really liked that flight.
Real bummer, was looking forward to using it this ski season, snowbird 4 hrs door to slope. Also, those that bitch about noise, we are so fortunate to have an airport that actually serves us. You hermits that dont travel and dont benefit from the airport just sound like cranky greyhairs. We need more carriers into SBA so united doesnt take the monopoly and keeps pricing reasonable.
Bad news, and yet another “victory” for COVID. One more carrier down, so rates will probably go up on the three major carriers we still have left. I used Delta to get to SLC, where I would rent a SUV and travel up through Heber City to visit some friends and then continue on to fish Idaho and Montana. It’s going to be much more difficult and likely more expensive to get to SLC and the hub there.
Blue must be pulling our legs. Can anyone actually complain that those affected adversely by his or her luxuries want some relief?
Plane travel has increased beyond reasonable accommodation for the local population here. Connecting flights everywhere in the world are a short hop to LAX. The big increase in planes is recent, including the private multi-million jets. Enough pollution and noise is generated with one or two carriers and the privates, without adding 5 more airlines for the convenience of a few.