Best Time to Fly LAX to SBA: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Los Angeles International → Santa Barbara Municipal
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 88.2% of Los Angeles (LAX) to Santa Barbara (SBA) flights arrived on time (687 scheduled flights). That is 10.6 points above the national average of 77.6%.
SkyWest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (91% on time) and December the worst month (78%).
The cancellation rate was 1.0% (US average 1.8%).
LAX to SBA on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 88.2% | 104 min | 1.0% | 687 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly LAX to SBA
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,387 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8am–9am | 92.9% | 0.0% | 99 |
| 9am–10am | Limited data | 18 | |
| 10am–11am | 90.3% | 0.0% | 124 |
| 11am–12pm | Limited data | 14 | |
| 12pm–1pm | 90.1% | 2.1% | 144 |
| 1pm–2pm | 61.8% | 0.0% | 34 |
| 3pm–4pm | 89.3% | 1.9% | 154 |
| 4pm–5pm | 94.9% | 0.0% | 78 |
| 6pm–7pm | Limited data | 1 | |
| 10pm–11pm | 86.2% | 0.9% | 331 |
| 11pm–12am | 86.1% | 1.3% | 390 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on LAX to SBA
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 27 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 70.9% | -17.8 pts | 8.3% | 60 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 87.5% | -1.1 pts | 0.8% | 246 |
| All other days | 88.7% | — | 0.7% | 1,054 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).