Story updated at 3:20 p.m. March 27:

Airports are considered an essential business, but for tri-county residents who still need to travel it’s getting increasingly difficult to catch a flight.

United Airlines announced it was reducing its domestic flight service to an even larger degree, down 52 percent, from the 42 percent it previously announced it was cutting. Reductions include flights to and from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, where several United flights from Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco have been cancelled.

United also plans to delay service to Santa Maria until Oct. 1.

United isn’t the only airline that’s reducing its presence in the tri-county region during the current health crisis. American Airlines has canceled some of its flights to and from Phoenix in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and Alaska Airlines has stopped daily service to and from Seattle in Santa Barbara.

Even Santa Maria Airport, which only serves Allegiant Air on select days, got hit: Allegiant announced earlier in March that it expected to reduce flights by 30-35 percent, and that includes flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria.

• Contact Amber Hair at ahair@pacbiztimes.com.