Santa Barbara Airbus, a family-owned, multigenerational local business, has been proudly serving the Central Coast for over four decades, providing safe, reliable, and comfortable transportation for travelers, businesses, and groups of all sizes. With a strong commitment to exceptional customer service, we strive to make every trip easy, stress-free, and enjoyable.
Our fleet features a variety of well-maintained vehicles, from spacious motorcoaches to convenient mini buses, allowing us to accommodate everything from airport transfers and corporate events to weddings, tours, and custom group charters. Whether you’re planning a single-day excursion or a multi-day journey, our professional drivers and dedicated support team ensure a smooth experience from beginning to end.
At Santa Barbara Airbus, we believe transportation is more than getting from one place to another—it’s an opportunity to travel comfortably, arrive confidently, and enjoy the journey along the way. With decades of experience and a reputation built on reliability, safety, and service, we are proud to be the Central Coast’s trusted transportation partner.
Our mission is to improve our customer’s lives and our community through passenger transportation services.
History
Our History
Santa Barbara Airbus began in a rather modest fashion. Founded by three young entrepreneurs in 1983, it was the result of circumstances, a spark, and of course, a girl. Eric and Kelly Onnen were married in 1981 and were living in Goleta, California. Kelly, the girl in our story, was a flight attendant. Which meant that Eric would have to drive her to and from LAX Airport several times per month. The wheels of change would be set in motion that year during a trip to visit Kelly’s family. During the visits, Kelly’s father and Eric mused about how there should be a shuttle service between Santa Barbara and the Los Angeles International Airport.
That was all the spark they needed. Upon returning to Goleta, Eric, Kelly and their good friend, Mark Klopstein, wrote a business plan, saved as much money they could, and prepared to start this business. After a year of waiting, Santa Barbara Airbus was finally granted a license to operate. The three pooled their resources to purchase two vans. On April 4, 1983, they began operating a daily shuttle service between LAX and Santa Barbara.
The young business, while small, was committed to service. Eric, Kelly and Mark knew they had to be reliable to earn the trust of their customers. With only two vans, and Eric’s VW Rabbit, they operated the first year out of their own homes. The vehicle cleaning system was Mark’s garden hose thrown over the fence. There were times when Eric would hop in the Rabbit to make sure a passenger was delivered. After a year, they turned a profit, moved into an office on Fairview. They haven’t looked back since.
Fast forward to 2020, there is no denying the impact Santa Barbara Airbus has had on its community. With a fleet of 20 tour coaches and several deluxe mini coaches, Santa Barbara Airbus has become the premier provider of transportation in Santa Barbara County. Eric has served on the Goleta City Council and Planning Commission in addition to serving as the Mayor of Goleta in 2010. Our employees are encouraged to and actively volunteer throughout the community, and we continue to donate thousands of dollars to local schools, charities and non-profit organizations as a business and as employees.
Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
To improve our customer’s lives and our community through passenger transportation services.
Vision for our Customers
Make travel convenient, enjoyable and beneficial for all who use our services by exceeding our customers’ expectations and enabling them to achieve their travel and transportation goals.
Vision for our Workforce
To make it enjoyable and rewarding to do our daily work by working with the best people in the industry and having them compensated as such. To have each individual’s ability to contribute limited only by their desire to contribute.
Safety Statement
S.B. Airbus intends to provide safe, reliable, convenient and economical ground transportation service to its customers.
Core Values
SAFETY
At every moment we focus on providing the safest possible service
PASSION
Delivering excellent service is something we live and breathe
CONSISTENCY/RELIABILITY
Timeliness and dependability are a pillar of our service
COMMUNICATION
We listen with intent, and communicate with clarity and transparency
HONESTY
We act with dignity and truthfulness
INTEGRITY
We are accountable for our actions as an organization and individually
COMMUNITY
We consistently strive for a better, brighter, and sustainable community both internally and externally
GRATITUDE
We are grateful for our work, our coworkers ,and our customers
Our Team
Our Team
-
Eric OnnenManaging Partner -
Mark KlopsteinCOO -
Samantha OnnenCEO -
Tim OnnenOperations Manager
Our Fleet
Our Fleet
At Santa Barbara Airbus, we use only the finest quality vehicles such as MCI. Our fleet is meticulously maintained by top grade mechanics. All our vehicles are smoke free and immaculately clean. Our courteous drivers will even be happy to show you aboard at any stop if time permits.
We have 3 vehicle types to choose from for your Private Charter, depending on your needs:
Mini Coach
21 to 23 Passengers
available w/video, microphone, stereos, AM/AM, A/C
Charter Coaches
47 Passengers
available w/video, microphone, stereos, AM/AM, A/C, restroom
Premium 56 Passenger J Coaches
56 passenger
video equipped, all comforts, A/C, Restroom
Green
Santa Barbara Airbus is pleased to announce that on June 18th 2009 we became a certified Green Business in Santa Barbara County’s Green Business Program and pledge the following:
We believe a successful business is dependent on a healthy environment. We are actively working to show our environmental responsibility to our community by committing to the following objectives:
- To be an environmentally responsible business within our community
- To conserve energy, water, materials and other resources
- To develop and implement practices that prevent pollution and waste
- To comply with all applicable regulations and strive to exceed compliance
- To strive for continuous improvement
For more information regarding the Green Business program of Santa Barbara County please visit http://www.greenbizsbc.org
Safety
Safety
We pride ourselves in the safety initiatives that we adopt and implement for all our passengers.
These initiatives include:
- Driver: The driver is the difference and sets up apart from other service providers. Our drivers are service and safety oriented, highly trained and experienced making the trip hassle-free
- Maintenance: In-house rigorous fleet maintenance performed by a sophisticated team of Fleet Mechanics
- Dispatch: Expert Dispatch staff trained to get you to your destination swiftly and safely
- Compliance: Our Operations Manager, who has been with us for over 40 years manages, maintains and improves these areas making sure we operate at the highest level of safety, comfort and ease
- Cleaning: Our dedicated cleaning crew makes sure each coach is clean and comfortable for your trip
Safety Statement
Santa Barbara Airbus aims to provide safe, reliable, convenient and beneficial ground transportation service to our customers. Our number one priority is passenger and staff safety. Our goals for safety include:
1. Safety of employees, customers and the general public. Every effort will be made to reduce the possibility of accidental occurrences. Safety shall be a major factor and consideration incorporated in the operation and policy decisions of all airbus employees.
2. Safety shall take priority over expediency or any other corner cut.
3. All employees, officers and directors are required to comply with all safety laws and regulations.
Community
Community Service
#airbuscares
Santa Barbara Airbus’s Community Outreach Program
About:
For over 35 years Santa Barbara Airbus has been committed to supporting our community by giving back to local organizations that enrich the lives of residents in Santa Barbara county. To further expand upon these efforts, a new outreach program, #airbuscares, is being launched in 2018. This program seeks to honor one local non-profit a month as a beneficiary of our commitment to support valued organizations within our community.
Mission Statement:
#airbuscares strives to impact, inspire and enrich the community of Santa Barbara by spotlighting and donating to an organization that supports our residents each month.
How it Works:
If you are a non-profit located in the county of Santa Barbara and are in need of some assistance, write to us and tell us about your need. Please include the specific need being requested, the date by which the assistance is needed, details and type of organization you are, how the assistance will benefit your organization, contact information for follow up and any other pertinent information that may factor into making our determination. Your submission will be reviewed and considered to be the beneficiary of the month. #airbuscares reserves the right to make the selection based on the criteria developed for benefit assistance.
Program Benefits:
Santa Barbara Airbus, acting on behalf of #airbuscares, hopes to promote the non-profit selected each month by posting blogs on our website, Instagram and FaceBook posts as well as submit occasional press releases. We hope our partnership with these non-profits will benefit our community and aid in fostering active philanthropic endeavors by our staff and local residents. Together we can make a difference and the time to start is now!
Employment
Employment Opportunities
Start a New Career with Santa Barbara Airbus!
Whether you’re looking to start a career, seeking part-time employment, or a way to be involved in your community, we’d love to talk with you. We offer great benefits and opportunities for on the job training while getting paid. We’re looking for committed people with a great attitude to join our team, and become a part of the Santa Barbara Airbus family.