Santa Maria Airport looking to add new airline service, seeking input from local travelers

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is looking to add new commercial flights and is seeking public input on the community's air service needs.

"The Santa Maria Airport is ready for new air service," said Santa Maria Public Airport General Manager Martin Pehl. "We can take airline service today. It's really the airline's recovery from the pandemic, and where they're focusing their growth now is in existing markets, and at some point, we hope in the next two to three years, we'll have the airlines in a position to start new markets such as Santa Maria."

Pehl, who was named as airport general manager last April, added he meets frequently with national airline companies in an ongoing recruitment effort to establish new service for Santa Maria.

"We actively meet with airlines through conferences and headquarters meetings," said Pehl. "I've been here for almost a year now, and I've been to several conferences where we meet with the airlines, and so we have a good sense of where the market is and what potentially we could make happen here in Santa Maria."

To help in the recruitment process, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber is actively seeking community input through an online survey.

"It's our way of being able to market our community better to the airlines when we meet with them," said Suzanne Singh, Economic & Community Development Director. "It's very important. I think if (the public) really wants us to bring air service to the community, they need to have a voice and they need to let us know what their needs are so we can share that with the airlines. That gives us more marketing ability."

Singh stressed the importance of added service, not just for recreational travelers, but also for the business community.

"It would be amazing if we had (more service) here," said Singh. "I think you'd find us being able to attract more companies. There's some other things that go along with the attraction, but I think having an airport that's functioning that has daily flights definitely says we've got a lot going on and we've got the hustle and bustle."

Both Pehl and Singh are confident the airport will not only have ability to attract new service at some point in the near future, but just as important, will be able to sustain and support the service.

"The different airlines we talk to all have different interests, different strengths that we each we play to," said Pehlp. "A big sales point, we believe is that the presence of Vandenberg (Space Force Base) and its continued growth with SpaceX and other companies will see a large growth there.  Just the Central Coast in general. We also believe that at some point, the capacity, airline capacity in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo airports will be reached and will be the alternative route for new airline service on the Central Coast."

Santa Maria Airport has long been trying to reestablish daily service for several years. Since 2017 when Hawaii-based Mokulele Airlines stopped service at the airport, only Allegiant has provided commercial flights to Santa Maria.

Currently, Allegiant flies twice a week to Las Vegas, on Thursdays and Sundays.

"Allegiant is doing well," said Pehl. "Their load factors are good. Allegiant is a little bit of a different airline. They're more of a travel agency with them that has owns an airline, so their interest is getting people to Vegas and back. We're looking for someone that an airline that is an actual, you know, more of a actual airline that is trying to get people to other destinations beyond Vegas or whatever other hub we might be able to gain service at."

In January 2020, after years of hard work, Santa Maria finally was able to land daily service, announcing United Airlines was set to provide flights to Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco starting later in the year.

However, just two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic began, forcing United to cancel all plans to fly into Santa Maria.

Now, four years later, SMX is eagerly working to once again be able to attract daily service at some point in the future.

"I think things are going well, considering what we've been through, through the pandemic," said Pehl. "We've been meeting with airlines frequently with hopes to increase air service, and we have a good sense that in the next year or two, we should be able to accomplish that, but we've got to wait for the airlines to finish recovering from their issues from the pandemic as well."

Singh feels the Santa Maria Valley, as well as Northern Santa Barbara County, and surrounding communities will be able to support added service at SMX, even with successful airports in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara both less 100 miles away.

"When we talk to the airlines, we go through a catchment area and we show them that there's over 250,000 people that would be able to benefit from having service out of Santa Maria," said Singh. "I think we definitely see the need here in this community. We hear it from our business community all the time. We hear from Vandenberg there's a need and we just needed to do a better job at explaining what that need was."

Adding air service would not only benefit recreational travelers by providing new options, Singh stressed the important effect it would create for the local economy.

"I think you'd find us being able to attract more companies," said Singh. "There's some other things that go along with the attraction, but I think having an airport that's functioning that has daily flights definitely says we've got a lot going on and we've got the hustle and bustle. We're planning on, what, another 20,000 to 30,000 people in the next 30 years," said Singh. "Santa Maria growth is unbelievable, probably more than any other city most of us know of, and so along with that growth comes the need for more land, the need for air service, the need for those companies to come in so we can have jobs. There's so many things that go into it, but I think air service is a good start for us being able to attract more companies into the community."

To take part in the Santa Maria Airport online survey, click here.