Friends of SMX Airport

Friends of SMX Airport For persons living near the Santa Maria Airport who are concerned about noise, pollution and land use

03/06/2026

There is a rumor going around on Facebook that the SkyWest flights to Phoenix are ending on May 6. I hope it is just that, a rumor. Anyone out there know the facts on this?

This isn't specific to SMX but here is a really cool site where you can track, in real time, flights to and from anywher...
11/05/2025

This isn't specific to SMX but here is a really cool site where you can track, in real time, flights to and from anywhere. Ever wonder where that plane overhead is going to or coming from? Just look at this site and click on the plane. The site is free to use. As is usually the case, you can pay for the super-duper version, but this one works quite well for us amateurs.

The world’s most popular flight tracker. Track planes in real-time on our flight tracker map and get up-to-date flight status & airport information.

I was looking at the Yelp reviews for SMX and none reflect recent experiences now that we have twice daily service to Ph...
10/26/2025

I was looking at the Yelp reviews for SMX and none reflect recent experiences now that we have twice daily service to Phoenix. If you have used the new American Airlines service to Phoenix, maybe take a few minutes to review on Yelp. If you don't use Yelp but still want to leave a review, please put something here. Hopefully it's all good!

SANTA MARIA PUBLIC AIRPORT, 3249 Terminal Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93455, 57 Photos, (805) 922-1726, Mon - Open 24 hours, Tue - Open 24 hours, Wed - Open 24 hours, Thu - Open 24 hours, Fri - Open 24 hours, Sat - Open 24 hours, Sun - Open 24 hours

10/18/2025

Regarding the airshow tomorrow. I get it, people like seeing (and hearing) different types of aircraft. However, at 7:00 p.m. the day before, it's probably time to shut it down. People are trying to settle in after a long week. Trying to have a quiet dinner with family and jets are screaming overhead.

Looks like SMX is good to go for American Airlines maiden voyages to Phoenix tomorrow. Finally, we are getting access t...
10/14/2025

Looks like SMX is good to go for American Airlines maiden voyages to Phoenix tomorrow. Finally, we are getting access to the rest of the world without having to drive to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, LA or San Francisco.

So, flights to Phoenix from SMX begin on 10/15/25. SM Times posted an article on this. Not sure why they used the pictu...
09/18/2025

So, flights to Phoenix from SMX begin on 10/15/25. SM Times posted an article on this. Not sure why they used the pictures that they posted. But more importantly, it looks like you can be part of the inaugural flight. It appears that they will leave at 4:30 p.m. and return at 10:14 and will cost $392 RT for an economy seat. I checked Expedia for a RT flight, non-stop, to Phoenix from San Luis Obispo for that day. $751 plus you have to pay $25/day to park your car! We're hoping that American Airlines will be successful in this endeavor. I can't imagine why it wouldn't be.

In a milestone for regional air travel, American Airlines will launch a new commercial service at the Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) on Oct. 15, offering twice-daily flights to Phoenix

07/13/2025

For a long time, we in the Santa Maria area have endured the negative impacts of an airport (noise, traffic, air pollution, odors, etc.) but haven’t experienced the main benefit that one associates with an airport-a quick way to fly elsewhere in the USA and in fact, the world. In October, that will no longer be the case, assuming folks in our area utilize American Airlines out of SMX to start your trip by flying to Phoenix, a major transportation hub. Granted, SBA and SBP have flights to other destinations, but in most cases, you end up flying to LAX or SFO to make a connecting flight.

So, why use the AA flights out of SMX? Obviously, convenience is a huge issue. But it’s also going to be a lot cheaper. Let’s assume that Phoenix will meet your major hub needs. Flying out of SMX to Phoenix will be much, much cheaper. If you drive to SBA or SBP to catch your flight, it will cost you $0.67/mile to drive your car to these other airports. So, a round trip to SBA will cost you $78 and SBP will cost you $40. Your drive to SMX may cost a couple of bucks. Parking is a big deal. Assuming you are going on a 10-day vacation, SBA will cost you $180 to park and SBP, who just raised their rates, will cost you $250. SMX? Nothing.

Looking at the actual cost of flights is enlightening. In October, a flight from SBA to Phoenix will cost you an average of $405 RT, SBP will be $410 and SMX will $380.

In summary, flying from SMX to Phoenix can save you $340 over SBP and $303 over SBA. This is almost the cost of a second ticket! We need to make sure we make good use of this resource.

Address

375
Santa Maria, CA
93455

Telephone

+18053148201

Website

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