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Transportation

Step One of Airport Expansion Funded

Santa Barbara passengers expected to hit a million per year by 2022.

Step One of Airport Expansion Funded

With the number of passengers flying in and out of Santa Barbara Airport taking off, City Council voted to set aside $350,000 this week as part of a longer-term strategy to spend $4 million to expand the airport with “a three-step capacity enhancement program.” The first step is slated to cost $529,000. Airport administrators project the number of passengers getting off and on planes in Santa Barbara will hit the million mark in 2022 — a big jump from historic trends. Last year, the airport reported 774,500 passengers, the highest in 10 years.