FlightRecord

Santa Barbara (SBA) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

Santa Barbara (SBA) to Los Angeles (LAX) effectively runs on two schedules. In March 2025, 98% of arrivals were on time; in December 2025 that fell to 68% — a 30-point seasonal swing. Across the full period the route averages 90% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
90%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
10 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
1.9
last 12 months
Duration
1h 4m
scheduled
Distance
89 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SBA to LAX flights50%75%100%August 2024: 90% on-time (62 flights)90Aug 2024September 2024: 93% on-time (60 flights)93October 2024: 93% on-time (61 flights)93November 2024: 95% on-time (60 flights)95Nov 2024December 2024: 83% on-time (60 flights)83January 2025: 91% on-time (56 flights)91February 2025: 92% on-time (50 flights)92Feb 2025March 2025: 98% on-time (57 flights)98April 2025: 98% on-time (56 flights)98May 2025: 97% on-time (57 flights)97May 2025June 2025: 90% on-time (60 flights)90July 2025: 90% on-time (61 flights)90August 2025: 87% on-time (62 flights)87Aug 2025September 2025: 85% on-time (59 flights)85October 2025: 91% on-time (56 flights)91November 2025: 78% on-time (53 flights)78Nov 2025December 2025: 68% on-time (46 flights)68January 2026: 95% on-time (62 flights)95February 2026: 98% on-time (54 flights)98Feb 2026March 2026: 93% on-time (54 flights)93April 2026: 97% on-time (59 flights)97May 2026: 93% on-time (61 flights)93May 2026June 2026: 87% on-time (60 flights)87July 2026: 89% on-time (61 flights)89

Best time to fly from SBA to LAX

Aim for departures around 1 p.m. (97% on-time); avoid 7 a.m. departures (74%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, SBA to LAX6 a.m.: 93% on-time (673 flights)67 a.m.: 74% on-time (72 flights)710 a.m.: 93% on-time (27 flights)1011 a.m.: 79% on-time (68 flights)111 p.m.: 97% on-time (31 flights)132 p.m.: 92% on-time (252 flights)144 p.m.: 84% on-time (105 flights)165 p.m.: 90% on-time (115 flights)176 p.m.: 91% on-time (90 flights)18scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday91%9 min
Tuesday91%11 min
Wednesdaybest92%10 min
Thursday91%9 min
Friday90%8 min
Saturday87%13 min
Sunday89%9 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft25%
  • Airline operations43%
  • National airspace system11%
  • Weather21%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from SBA to LAX delayed?
10% of SBA–LAX flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 10 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from SBA to LAX?
Departures around 1 p.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 7 a.m. have the worst (74%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from SBA to LAX?
The scheduled SBA–LAX flight time averages 1h 4m over 89 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 10% of the time.
How often are SBA to LAX flights cancelled?
1.1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from SBA to LAX?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 68% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 98%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.

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Based on 1,449 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.