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Route · SBA → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Santa Barbara to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SBA to LAX (Santa Barbara to Los Angeles) ranks #3266 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

89.7%
On-time
+10.7 pts
vs US avg
104 min
Delay when late
3,090
Flights
#3266 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Mar 2025 98%

Worst Month

Nov 2025 79%

Distance

89 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 46 14 2 0 OO
Nov 2025 53 11 3 0 OO
Oct 2025 56 4 0 1 OO
Sep 2025 59 9 0 0 OO
Aug 2025 62 8 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 61 6 2 0 OO
Jun 2025 60 6 0 0 OO
May 2025 57 2 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 56 1 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 57 1 0 0 OO
Feb 2025 50 4 1 0 OO
Jan 2025 56 5 0 0 OO
Dec 2024 60 9 1 1 OO
Nov 2024 60 3 0 0 OO
Oct 2024 61 4 3 0 OO
Sep 2024 60 4 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 62 6 0 0 OO
Jul 2024 62 12 2 0 OO
Jun 2024 60 8 0 0 OO
May 2024 62 4 0 0 OO
Apr 2024 60 11 1 0 OO
Mar 2024 60 11 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 54 1 4 0 OO
Jan 2024 54 2 0 0 OO

SBA–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (95.2%) · weakest: December (83.3%)

80%85%90%95%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.3%

Strongest calendar month

May

95.2% on-time · ~52 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~62 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

83.3% on-time · ~43 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

19 of 1,388 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 1,388 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SBA's stronger departures

SBA → LAX posts a 89.7% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 6 of 12 BTS-tracked routes leaving Santa Barbara. The same hub also shows 6 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #171 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SBA to LAX

Santa Barbara to Los Angeles (SBA to LAX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 89.7% on-time rate across 3,090 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 104.3 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 89 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 19 of 1,388 flights were cancelled (1.4%) and 2 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2025 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Nov 2025 came in at just 79% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SBA–LAX peaks in May at 95.2% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~62 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 83.3%, a 11.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SBA to LAX rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SBA to LAX ranks #3266 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 SBA to LAX?
Flights from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles have a 89.7% on-time rate based on 3,090 flights. The average delay is 104.3 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2025 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SBA to LAX?
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (19 of 1,388 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SBA to LAX?
The flight distance from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 89 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from SBA to LAX?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2025 (98% on-time). The worst was Nov 2025 (79% 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 SBA–LAX data

SBA–LAX runs 10.7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SBA and LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SBA airport
  • If your dates flex, May (95.2% on-time) beats December (83.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 89.7% 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.