FlightRecord

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

Data through May 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
1.2%
Flights/day
1.9
last 12 months
Duration
1h 3m
scheduled
Distance
89 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SBA to LAX flights50%75%100%June 2024: 87% on-time (60 flights)87Jun 2024July 2024: 80% on-time (62 flights)80August 2024: 90% on-time (62 flights)90September 2024: 93% on-time (60 flights)93Sep 2024October 2024: 93% on-time (61 flights)93November 2024: 95% on-time (60 flights)95December 2024: 83% on-time (60 flights)83Dec 2024January 2025: 91% on-time (56 flights)91February 2025: 92% on-time (50 flights)92March 2025: 98% on-time (57 flights)98Mar 2025April 2025: 98% on-time (56 flights)98May 2025: 97% on-time (57 flights)97June 2025: 90% on-time (60 flights)90Jun 2025July 2025: 90% on-time (61 flights)90August 2025: 87% on-time (62 flights)87September 2025: 85% on-time (59 flights)85Sep 2025October 2025: 91% on-time (56 flights)91November 2025: 78% on-time (53 flights)78December 2025: 68% on-time (46 flights)68Dec 2025January 2026: 95% on-time (62 flights)95February 2026: 98% on-time (54 flights)98March 2026: 93% on-time (54 flights)93Mar 2026April 2026: 97% on-time (59 flights)97May 2026: 93% on-time (61 flights)93

Best time to fly from SBA to LAX

Aim for departures around 6 p.m. (100% on-time); avoid 7 a.m. departures (74%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, SBA to LAX5 a.m.: 88% on-time (42 flights)56 a.m.: 94% on-time (616 flights)67 a.m.: 74% on-time (72 flights)710 a.m.: 93% on-time (27 flights)1011 a.m.: 79% on-time (72 flights)111 p.m.: 97% on-time (31 flights)132 p.m.: 92% on-time (249 flights)144 p.m.: 84% on-time (105 flights)165 p.m.: 90% on-time (115 flights)176 p.m.: 100% on-time (33 flights)188 p.m.: 81% on-time (26 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday92%8 min
Tuesday91%11 min
Wednesdaybest93%10 min
Thursday90%10 min
Friday90%8 min
Saturday88%12 min
Sunday88%11 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft26%
  • Airline operations41%
  • National airspace system10%
  • Weather24%

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 2024-06 and 2026-05. 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 6 p.m. have the best record (100% 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 3m 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?
1.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 1,388 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.