Final part of Santa Barbara Airport construction done

Finishing touches on the Santa Barbara Airport construction project are done. The main terminal was done last year, but renovations to the original terminal just finished.

The old terminal is named after Earle Ovington, the first air mail pilot.

Before the renovation, the Ovington Terminal had to be moved 180 feet.

One of the reasons airport officials decided to renovate the original terminal was to provide an indoor place for people to wait for arriving passengers. It’s also a chance to catch up on Santa Barbara history. The terminal is filled with historic pictures of what the terminal looked like in the 1940s when United Airlines built it.

But, a newer and larger airport doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see more flights.

“Contrary to popular belief, the building doesn’t have anything to do with it. It’s more the market,” said Santa Barbara Airport Director Karen Ramsdell.

Delta used to fly to its hub in Salt Lake City. Airport officials say service between Santa Barbara and Salt Lake City is not coming back anytime soon.

But they are working on getting direct flights to Houston, which is a major hub for United Airlines.

Airport leaders also hope to bring back nonstop flights to Sacramento.

There are no firm plans for more airline service yet, but discussions are ongoing.

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