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Route · SBA → PHX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Santa Barbara to Phoenix

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SBA to PHX (Santa Barbara to Phoenix) ranks #1853 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.7%
On-time
+6.7 pts
vs US avg
101 min
Delay when late
6,831
Flights
#1853 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Feb 2025 92%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 75%

Distance

455 mi

Carriers

25

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 124 21 1 0 AA,MQ,OO
Nov 2025 130 24 4 0 OO,MQ,AA
Oct 2025 132 19 0 0 AA,OO,WN,MQ
Sep 2025 90 10 2 0 MQ,WN,AA
Aug 2025 100 14 1 1 AA,OO,WN,MQ
Jul 2025 122 30 4 0 AA,OO,MQ
Jun 2025 119 26 0 0 AA,OO,MQ
May 2025 118 21 0 0 AA,OO
Apr 2025 138 22 0 0 MQ,OO,AA
Mar 2025 123 25 0 0 OO,MQ
Feb 2025 92 7 0 0 OO,MQ
Jan 2025 94 11 0 0 AA,OO,MQ
Dec 2024 130 17 2 0 AA,MQ,OO
Nov 2024 132 13 1 0 OO,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 124 25 0 0 OO,AA
Sep 2024 118 15 0 0 OO,AA
Aug 2024 114 21 0 0 AA,MQ,OO
Jul 2024 124 15 1 0 AA,MQ,OO
Jun 2024 124 18 2 1 AA,MQ,OO
May 2024 147 16 0 0 AA,MQ,OO
Apr 2024 105 21 3 0 AA,OO
Mar 2024 93 18 0 0 AA,OO
Feb 2024 81 14 4 0 AA,OO
Jan 2024 81 15 0 0 AA,OO

SBA–PHX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (87.8%) · weakest: October (83.3%)

83%84%85%86%87%88%89% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.9%

Strongest calendar month

January

87.8% on-time · ~90 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~111 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

October

83.3% on-time · ~102 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

25 of 2,755 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 2,755 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SBA's stronger departures

SBA → PHX posts a 85.7% 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 #1002 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SBA to PHX

Santa Barbara to Phoenix (SBA to PHX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.7% on-time rate across 6,831 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 100.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 455 miles and is served by 25 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 25 of 2,755 flights were cancelled (0.9%) and 2 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2025 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 75% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SBA–PHX peaks in January at 87.8% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~111 flights per month) ; the softest month is October at 83.3%, a 4.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SBA to PHX rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SBA to PHX ranks #1853 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 PHX?
Flights from Santa Barbara to Phoenix have a 85.7% on-time rate based on 6,831 flights. The average delay is 100.7 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2025 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SBA to PHX?
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (25 of 2,755 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SBA to PHX?
The flight distance from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Phoenix (PHX) is approximately 455 miles. This route is served by 25 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SBA to PHX?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2025 (92% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (75% 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–PHX data

SBA–PHX runs 6.7 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 PHX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SBA airport
  • If your dates flex, January (87.8% on-time) beats October (83.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.7% 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.