Airport Launches Frontier Airlines

In order to accommodate tri-county residents and commuters, Frontier Airlines will let travelers have the luxury of nonstop service between Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and Denver International Airport beginning today, June 4. Frontier weekday flights are slated to be at 6:40 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 99-passenger Embraer 190 jets, which is the largest commercial aircraft that flies out of SBA.

An inauguration ceremony will occur at the terminal courtyard at 2 p.m., and will include remarks by Mayor Helene Schneider, Airport Director Karen Ramsdell, and Frontier Vice President Daniel Shurz. To christen the event, the airport’s aircraft rescue and firefighting team will spray a water arch over the aircraft as it departs the terminal ramp onto the runway.

Although United Airlines has had nonstop service from Santa Barbara to Denver, passenger levels have sharply declined. For this summer, the average flight is predicted to be 90 percent full, even with three daily jet departures. However, the addition of Frontier Airlines will reportedly allow more available space to travelers and will also save them from driving out-of-town to LAX.

Frontier Airlines operates connecting service flights to Denver in 72 cities from the United States, Costa Rica, and Mexico.