Santa Barbara Airport does its part to protect passengers from Coronavirus

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Airport isn't as busy as usual due to the Coronavirus.

A majority of passengers on Monday afternoon were college students flying in for an early and even extended spring break due to prevention efforts.

Blythe Hastings returned home from Trinity College in Connecticut.

She was concerned about the lack of social distancing on the plane.

"All the planes coming into Santa Barbara are so much smaller, you're, like, very close to the person you are sitting next to. "

Gia Halleck returned home from Oregon State. She said she was nervous.

"Airports are a little chaotic."

Airport administrators are making sure they are flying into a clean airport.

Dianna Zachrisson is the Santa Barbara Airport Business Development Manager.

She said, "We are sterilizing surfaces, continually keeping it very clean, that in combination with what airplanes are doing, the cleaning protocol between flights has increased significantly."

President Trump said the government would be helping the industry financially.

"Airports and airlines have faced many a challenge in the last 20 years, and they have managed to come out on the good side, so we are confident we will rebound from this, too," said Zachrisson.

Students including Hastings and Halleck hope to be able to return to their campuses when the health emergency is over.

Until then, they feel fortunate to return home to Santa Barbara.