Southwest to begin flights between Oakland and Santa Barbara in April

CHICAGO - APRIL 03: A Southwest Airlines jet takes off at Midway Airport April 3, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Southwest Airlines will begin nonstop flights between Oakland International Airport and Santa Barbara Airport starting in April, airport officials announced this week.

The daily flights on Boeing 737 planes will start April 12 with one-way fares starting at $39. Tickets are now on sale for the flights, which will leave Oakland at 11:45 a.m. and arrive in Santa Barbara at 12:55 p.m., then depart Santa Barbara at 1:30 p.m. and arrive in Oakland at 2:45 p.m.

"Santa Barbara is an often requested yet currently unserved destination from the East Bay," Port of Oakland. director of aviation Bryant Francis said in a news release.

Santa Barbara will be the eighth Southern California location where Southwest's planes fly from Oakland.