Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is about to lose one of its longest legs: the nonstop flight to Atlanta. Delta Air Lines will officially discontinue service to Hartsfield-Jackson on January 20, 2026 — shrinking SBA’s list of direct destinations from 14 to 13.
According to Lauren Gonzales, marketing supervisor for the City of Santa Barbara Airport, Delta cited ongoing “logistical challenges with aircraft and crew staffing” as the reason for the route cancellation. The airline will instead increase service to Salt Lake City, offering up to three daily flights from SBA starting in late January 2026.
“This adjustment allows SBA passengers to maintain strong connectivity to the East Coast and beyond, via Salt Lake City,” Gonzales said.
The good news: Salt Lake City airport offers connectivity to pretty much anywhere with a tarmac (More than 330 flights depart daily to 100 nonstop destinations.) The bad news: If you’re counting on a breeze into Georgia, you’ll now have to connect.
According to a Delta spokesperson, the airline “routinely examines and adjusts our schedule to best meet customer demand. We greatly apologize for the inconvenience and will work to rebook [impacted customers] on a suitable alternative itinerary.”
Current nonstop destinations from SBA 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).
