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Route · PHX → SBA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Phoenix to Santa Barbara

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHX to SBA (Phoenix to Santa Barbara) ranks #1852 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.3%
On-time
+4.3 pts
vs US avg
81 min
Delay when late
6,831
Flights
#1852 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Jan 2025 91%

Worst Month

Jan 2024 69%

Distance

455 mi

Carriers

25

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 124 24 1 0 AA,MQ,OO
Nov 2025 130 25 4 1 OO,MQ,AA
Oct 2025 132 21 0 1 AA,OO,WN,MQ
Sep 2025 90 16 2 0 MQ,WN,AA
Aug 2025 100 20 0 0 AA,OO,WN,MQ
Jul 2025 122 36 4 2 AA,OO,MQ
Jun 2025 119 25 0 1 AA,OO,MQ
May 2025 118 29 0 0 AA,OO
Apr 2025 138 22 0 0 MQ,OO,AA
Mar 2025 123 33 0 1 OO,MQ
Feb 2025 92 12 0 0 OO,MQ
Jan 2025 94 8 0 1 AA,OO,MQ
Dec 2024 130 20 2 1 AA,MQ,OO
Nov 2024 132 16 0 4 OO,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 124 34 0 1 OO,AA
Sep 2024 118 32 0 1 OO,AA
Aug 2024 114 25 0 1 AA,MQ,OO
Jul 2024 124 18 1 0 AA,MQ,OO
Jun 2024 124 14 1 1 AA,MQ,OO
May 2024 147 23 1 1 AA,MQ,OO
Apr 2024 105 20 1 4 AA,OO
Mar 2024 93 27 0 0 AA,OO
Feb 2024 81 15 2 2 AA,OO
Jan 2024 81 25 0 0 AA,OO

PHX–SBA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (86.4%) · weakest: August (80.6%)

80%82%84%86%88% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.1%

Strongest calendar month

February

86.4% on-time · ~90 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~111 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

August

80.6% on-time · ~88 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

19 of 2,755 flights

Diversion Rate

0.8%

23 of 2,755 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHX departures

From PHX, this corridor sits with 71 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 97 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (25 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Santa Barbara · fleet on-time rank #1847 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHX to SBA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Phoenix to Santa Barbara (PHX to SBA) running a 83.3% on-time rate over 6,831 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 81.3 minutes. The 455-mile corridor is served by 25 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.7% of 2,755 flights were cancelled, 0.8% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2025 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 69% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHX–SBA peaks in February at 86.4% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~111 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 80.6%, a 5.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHX to SBA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHX to SBA ranks #1852 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from PHX to SBA?
Flights from Phoenix to Santa Barbara have a 83.3% on-time rate based on 6,831 flights. The average delay is 81.3 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHX to SBA?
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (19 of 2,755 flights) and 0.8% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHX to SBA?
The flight distance from Phoenix (PHX) to Santa Barbara (SBA) is approximately 455 miles. This route is served by 25 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHX to SBA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (91% on-time). The worst was Jan 2024 (69% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using PHX–SBA data

PHX–SBA runs 4.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PHX and SBA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHX airport
  • If your dates flex, February (86.4% on-time) beats August (80.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.3% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.