FAA: Santa Barbara County airports get over $10 million in federal funding during COVID-19

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The Santa Maria Public Airport is getting a big helping hand from the federal government.

It's receiving just over $1 million in economic relief from coronavirus impacts.

While the airport is still fully operational, General Manager Chris Hastert with the airport says the airlines are declining in ridership. "Meeting the airline side, we are almost entirely shut down right now so Allegiant is still operating out of the airport. They haven’t pulled out but a lot of their flights have been canceled."

Hastert says the federal grant will allow the airport to stay operational without impacting safety for the next several months.
"It enables the airport to keep operating to maintain the highest level and basically not run out of funding."

Hastert says if it weren’t for the federal funding the airport would have potentially make cutbacks on staffing and improvement projects.

"For our airport, it covers about three to four months' worth of operating costs and hopefully that will allow us to continue on with some of those capital projects that we planned for."

Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara Airport is receiving just over $9 Million in federal funding.

Right now, fewer than one dozen flights are flying out of there each day.

"It’s been extremely difficult for an airport and it’s been similar in severity to the 9/11 attack but the duration has been much longer," said spokesperson Deanna Zachrisson with the Santa Barbara Airport.

The CARES Act provides new funds for all airports that are part of the national airport system.

The San Luis Obispo Regional Airport is receiving close to $20 million in federal funding.

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, managers from both airports hope that ridership will bounce back sooner than later.