Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber Magazine 2024 - 57

Santa Barbara Airport, Hidden
Disabilities Sunflower Program lanyard
Currently, SBA is served by five major airlines flying nonstop to 12
destinations. While the number of weekly flights has not reached
pre-pandemic volumes, passenger capacity has surpassed the
number of seats compared 2019 numbers-a credit to larger aircraft
that can carry more passengers. The airport has capacity to bring
more flights to the community and is always working with airlines to
support and expand current services and court new airlines, flights,
and routes.
Beginning June 2024, Delta will introduce daily Salt Lake City and
Atlanta flights, increasing daily capacity by 780 arriving and departing
seats on the Airbus A220-300. Daus attributes Delta's commitment
to the Santa Barbara market to the community's use of the
airport, which demonstrates Santa Barbara is a great place to do
business. " There are a lot of economic drivers to support that, both
incoming through tourism but also the local technology sector and
business travel. " On any given day, the split of passengers is roughly
50-50 regional residents and visitors.
A large scale Terminal Improvement Project now in the design stages
is focused on supporting the airport's current capacity by creating
more space for passenger comfort in the terminals. Accessibility is
one of the cornerstone pieces of the project-enhancing accessibility
for disabled travelers, parents traveling with children, and older
passengers, ultimately making the airport feel less crowded during
peak travel periods.
"
The Terminal Improvement Project
is about supporting the capacity we
have now, improving the space in
order to allow for more comfort and
ease for that quicker experience that
we all want out of our airport. "
ANGI DAUS, MPA
Marketing Supervisor
City of Santa Barbara, Airport
Before construction begins in 2026, SBA is implementing several
programs to improve the traveler experience. The Hidden Disabilities
Sunflower Program launched in the spring of 2023. This initiative is
designed to support travelers with non-visible disabilities to discreetly
indicate their need for additional assistance or time. Airline
employees, TSA professionals, and concessionaires are all part of
the program and when they see the lanyards and badges, they can
discreetly extend extra help. Also new is a therapy dog program and
a concierge service offering curb to gate assistance.
The Southfield Redevelopment project is currently in progress. This
project includes the creation of additional space designated for
rental cars and the addition of three new overnight parking spots for
aircraft. At present, planes can only park at the gates. Consequently,
any surplus planes without gate space are required to fly to LAX
and return the following day. These new parking spaces will eliminate
the need for these unnecessary flights, known as 'empty legs',
thereby significantly reducing emissions and enhancing operational
efficiency at SBA.
Learn more about SBA's Improvement Project and
Master Plan updates at flysba.santabarbaraca.gov/
about-sba/development-projects.
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http://flysba.santabarbaraca.gov/about-saba/development-projects http://flysba.santabarbaraca.gov/about-saba/development-projects
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber Magazine 2024

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