Skip to main content

In & out in 15 minutes or less. Great weather year-round. Sea-level landings. Runways long & wide. Between LAX & SFO.

A World-Class Customs Experience

In addition to an ideal geographic location, SMX has great weather year round, a wide open sea level approach, and minimal air traffic. SMX facilities offer a full range of services and amenities including modern passenger lounges, fueling services, maintenance support, and aircraft hangar and tie-down areas.  Adding a world-class customs experience to SMX, along with proximity to San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Hollywood and LAX, makes Santa Maria an ideal stop for business travelers.

About Customs at SMX

SMX not only serves as home base for over 200 general aviation aircraft, but also encompasses an area of 400 square miles including two active runways and facilities for two regional airlines (Allegiant Airlines and Skywest/United).

Read more...

Benefits of Landing in Santa Maria

Santa Maria boasts one the most temperate climates in the world. That means everything when planning a flight, especially from a country outside the United States. With year round sunshine and an average temperature of about 70 degrees, you can count of on SMX.

Also, SMX is located in beautiful Santa Barbara County, right here on the Central Coast of California. From Santa Maria it’s a short flight to either Los Angeles or San Francisco. SMX gets where you want to go with real convenience.

Finally, while the weather and the location are fantastic, it’s important to know that SMX is in great condition. Millions of invested in runways long and wide, world class guest facilities, fueling services, maintenance support, and aircraft hangar and tie-down areas make SMX the best place on the West Coast to clear U.S. Customs.

How You Can Help

Clearing customs in Santa Maria, CA will save you time and money. So please take a few minutes to add your voice—we need to hear from you.

First, copy the sample letter letter. We encourage you to modify the letter however you see fit.

Then, simply email your letter of support to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Or, if you have any questions, please give Tom Widroe a call at 805.680.7772.

SAMPLE EMAIL LETTER to Cut & Paste

SMX Customs Request
Santa Maria Public Airport District
3249 Terminal Drive
Santa Maria, CA 93455

Dear Customs & Border Protection:

My name is [Your Name], and I represent [Number of Travelers You/Your Company Represents] traveler(s) who clear customs [Number of Times Your Group Clears Customs] time(s) per year in California. To save significant time and money, avoid dangerous congestion at other airports, and enjoy enhanced convenience, we would gladly divert our west coast customs traffic to Santa Maria, CA.

With this in mind, we respectfully request that you bring US Customs back to the Santa Maria Public Airport as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

[Your Email Signature with Logo]