Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is set to lose its nonstop link to Atlanta as Delta Air Lines has announced the discontinuation of service to Hartsfield-Jackson airport effective January 20, 2026. This change will reduce the airport’s direct flight destinations from 14 to 13.
Lauren Gonzales, the marketing supervisor for the City of Santa Barbara Airport, revealed that Delta’s decision stems from ongoing “logistical challenges with aircraft and crew staffing.” In response to these challenges, Delta plans to enhance its service to Salt Lake City, increasing to up to three daily flights from SBA starting late January 2026.
Gonzales highlighted that this adjustment will ensure that passengers flying from SBA can maintain good connectivity to the East Coast and beyond via Salt Lake City, which boasts daily departures exceeding 330 flights to around 100 nonstop destinations. While this change offers expanded options for travelers, customers hoping for direct access to Georgia will now need to connect through Salt Lake City.
A Delta spokesperson emphasized that the airline continuously reviews and modifies its schedule to align with customer demand, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused and assuring that rebooking assistance will be offered to affected passengers.
Currently, travelers can still access nonstop flights from SBA to several cities, including Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, and Dallas Fort Worth. Despite the loss of the Atlanta route, the airport continues to provide various essential connections across the country.