SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - For the first time in nearly a decade, Santa Maria Airport (SMX) once again has daily service for airline passengers.
On Wednesday, SMX launches its long-awaited hub service with the start of a new twice-daily route to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
For the airport, it marks a historic return to providing local travelers with daily service to a major airport, something that has not been available since 2017.
Beginning Oct. 15, American Airlines will fly each day to PHX from Santa Maria with two flights, one in the early morning and the other in the late afternoon.
The flights will be operated by SkyWest Airlines using 76-seat regional jets and will offer passengers 12 first class seats and 64-coach seats.
"We’re excited about the new partnership with American Airlines and the announcement of the return of connecting hub service from Santa Maria," SMX General Manager Martin Pehl said in a release at the time the new service was announced in June.
"With over 250 daily departures to more than 100 destinations, our customers will be able to enjoy convenient connections from Santa Maria to the world This service announcement is the result of continued efforts by the airport staff, community, military, and business leaders to bring back hub service to Santa Maria after nearly a decade. Special thanks to the airport’s partner agencies including the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Commission."
SMX has been working to re-establish daily service since Hawaii-based Mokuele Airlines stopped its service in 2017.
The Hawaii-based airline provided service on small nine-seat Grand Cessna Caravan planes for about a year, first flying to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and then briefly to Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR).
In early 2020, SMX, along with United Airlines, announced daily service would return with flights to three major hub airports, LAX, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Denver International Airport (DEN).
However, within just weeks of the announcement, the COVID-19 pandemic started, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the flights even before they began as planned in June 2020.
Now, five years later, SMX is once again finally able to provide daily service, which will give the Central Coast air travelers with another option, joining Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) and San Luis Obispo County Airport (SBP).
The new flights to Phoenix will be the first daily jet service provided at SMX since United Airlines ended its route to SFO in Oct. 2016.
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