American Airlines is ending its service at the Santa Maria Airport, shutting down a Phoenix route that launched just last October after nearly a decade without hub service at the airport.
In a statement to KSBY, American Airlines said, "Service to Santa Maria, California (SMX) operated under the American Eagle banner in partnership with SkyWest Airlines. Unfortunately, flights to SMX did not meet performance expectations and SkyWest informed American it will discontinue service as of May 7. We will proactively reach out to impacted customers with alternate travel arrangements or a refund in line with American's customer-friendly policies."
The twice-daily nonstop flights between Santa Maria and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport launched on October 15 and were the result of years of effort from airport leaders, city officials, business advocates, and regional partners.
The campaign to bring hub service back to Santa Maria included travel to airline headquarters, presentations on local travel data, letters of support from Central Coast businesses, and the crafting of a financial incentive package.
For the Santa Maria community, the route represented more than a connection to Phoenix — Phoenix Sky Harbor is one of the busiest hubs in the United States, offering access to over 140 daily domestic and international flights.
Now, less than a year after that celebration, the route is coming to an end. For some travelers, the news is more than an inconvenience. Santa Maria resident Francine Tillman said she went to the airport on Tuesday after having trouble finding a flight to Phoenix online.
"It really is going to impact me significantly," Tillman said. "My parents are now getting older, they are in their 70s, so the ability to visit them becomes less."
She said losing the route may now mean driving to other airports.
"Now I have to look at traveling longer distance, either LAX or San Luis Obispo, to see what they have available," Tillman said.
Another traveler said her family had recently used the Phoenix flight and had hoped to keep flying out of their hometown airport.
"We just used it for the first time just a couple weeks ago, but my sister and her husband were visiting on the Central Coast right after they started, and they were thrilled that they were able to get home that way to the Midwest," said Cheryl Kliewer.
Traveler Samir Joshi said the news came as a surprise and that, as an international traveler, he feels his options are limited.
"If American Airlines stopped the flight to Phoenix, we don't have many alternatives. We just have, I think, one flight only to Vegas," Joshi said.
KSBY News reached out to the airport's general manager and airport board for comment, but did not hear back.
