Southwest Airlines to Serve Las Vegas, Denver and Oakland Beginning April 12

It's a new era for air travel ease and affordability in the greater South Coast region with the start of Southwest service from Santa Barbara Airport on April 12. The airline will launch service to instantly become a dominant air carrier in the market with five daily departures. Schedules and introductory fares are available for booking immediately. Southwest flies with Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft for all its destinations.

Santa Barbara has sought Southwest's unique brand of low-cost and convenient air service for more than a decade. "We know we've been an attractive market for Southwest, but it took the shake-up of the industry as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide the impetus to enter the market," said Airport Director, Henry Thompson. "Whatever the reason, it's our region that stands to benefit."

The initial schedule includes three daily departures to Las Vegas, one daily flight to Denver and one daily flight to Oakland. All three airports offer connectivity to more than 50 points in Southwest's vast destination network. As air travel begins to rebound, the potential for additional flights for even more connectivity is possible.

"As we look past the pain of the current pandemic, today's announcement is exactly the boost of confidence needed for the upcoming travel recovery in a post-COVID environment. We are optimistic that local hospitality businesses will be prepared to welcome leisure travelers, meeting attendees and newlyweds who will choose Southwest for affordable flights to Santa Barbara," said Visit Santa Barbara CEO/President Kathy Janega-Dykes.