Santa Barbara (SBA) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SBA–PHX. February 2025 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 75% — a gap of 18 points. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 79%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 85%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 3.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 37m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 455 mi
Best airline from SBA to PHX
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy Airmost reliable | 89% | 8 min | 0.9% | 867 |
| American Airlines | 83% | 22 min | 0.8% | 1,081 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 82% | 16 min | 0.7% | 1,019 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SBA to PHX
Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (77%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 17 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 87% | 11 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 87% | 15 min |
| Thursdaybest | 87% | 20 min |
| Friday | 80% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 82% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations37%
- National airspace system7%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SBA to PHX delayed?
- 16% of SBA–PHX 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 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SBA to PHX?
- Envoy Air has the best on-time record on this route at 89%, based on 867 flights. 3 airlines flew SBA–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SBA to PHX?
- Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (77%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SBA to PHX?
- The scheduled SBA–PHX flight time averages 1h 37m over 455 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are SBA to PHX flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 PHX?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 75% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 18-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,979 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.