Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is about to lose one of its longest legs: a nonstop flight to Atlanta. Delta Air Lines will officially cease service to Hartsfield-Jackson on January 20, 2026 – reducing SBA’s list of direct destinations from 14 to 13.
According to Santa Barbara Airport marketing supervisor Lauren Gonzales, Delta cited “logistical challenges with aircraft and crew staffing” as the reason for the route cancellation. Instead the airline will increase service to Salt Lake City, offering three daily flights from SBA beginning in late January 2026.
“This adjustment allows SBA travelers to maintain strong connectivity through Salt Lake City to the East Coast and beyond,” Gonzales said.
The good news: Salt Lake City Airport offers connectivity to anywhere with tarmac (more than 330 flights depart daily to 100 nonstop destinations.) The bad news: If you’re hoping to breeze into Georgia, you now have to connect.
According to a Delta spokesperson, the airline “regularly checks and adjusts our schedule to best meet customer demand. We apologize for the inconvenience and will work to rebook (affected customers) on a suitable alternative itinerary.”
SBA’s current nonstop destinations include Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), Sacramento (SMF), Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), Salt Lake City (SLC), Denver (DEN), Chicago (ORD), and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW).
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