As kids, Samantha Onnen and Emily Myrvold would tag along on Saturday morning trips to their family’s bus company, checking in on vehicles with their dad before heading out for donuts.
For birthday parties and post-prom adventures, it wasn’t unusual for the sisters to climb aboard a full-size motorcoach, sometimes driven by their father, decorated with balloons or streamers for the occasion.
“We have so many memories tied to the buses,” Myrvold says. “It’s been part of our lives since we were little, stuffing marketing mailers, playing with the reservation system at home, even waving out the back bathroom window on trips.”
Today, those childhood memories have come full circle. The sisters now lead Santa Barbara Airbus, the Goleta, California-based transportation company their family launched 42 years ago. And this year, they’re celebrating a major milestone: 3 million passengers transported on their popular LAX shuttle route.
“It’s a huge number: 3 million people choosing us to get them safely to the airport and back home,” says Onnen, who has been with the company for nearly a decade and has served as CEO since just before the pandemic hit. “It’s also a moment of transition. We’re stepping into full leadership as our dad and his longtime business partner begin to step back.”
Back to their roots
Founded in 1983, Airbus runs a daily shuttle from Santa Barbara County to Los Angeles International Airport and offers a growing charter service across the region. The company has 20 vehicles, including a mix of motorcoaches and minibuses, and employs more than 50 full-time and part-time staff.
Both sisters had careers outside the family business before officially joining. Myrvold, who worked in corporate marketing and operations at CVS Health and Cigna, stepped in during the pandemic to help behind the scenes. She officially became Chief Strategy Officer in 2023.
“Sam had been carrying everything HR, dispatch, business operations. I just wanted to help rebalance things,” Myrvold says. “It’s been a long time coming, but now we’re both in it fully, and we’re close to a normal rhythm.”
Onnen’s background in hospitality and tourism drew her into the business in her early 20s after she grew frustrated with long, thankless hotel shifts.
“I wanted my hard work to make an impact,” she says. “And there’s no better place than a small business where your 12-hour day really moves the needle.”
Sisters bring complementary talents
Running the company together has deepened their bond, they say, and their skills complement one another. Onnen focuses on operations and internal systems, while Myrvold leans into planning and growth.
“There’s no one I’d rather work with,” Onnen says. “We trust each other completely, and we laugh a lot even when it’s stressful.”
The sisters are proud of the loyalty the company has built with its team. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Onnen says employees told her they would wait to come back because they didn’t want to work anywhere else.
“That meant the world,” she says. “We’ve always believed that every role here matters, and I think our team feels that.”
In the past year, Airbus transported over 95,000 passengers to LAX and completed more than 1,000 charter trips, totaling about a million miles. As they look to the future, the sisters plan to expand charter offerings and maintain their position as a preferred transportation provider in the region.
“Our goal is to grow responsibly, to be here for the long haul,” Onnen says. “We’re not chasing quick wins; we’re building something lasting.”
And just like in the early days, family remains at the heart of it all.
“Our parents built something really special,” Myrvold says. “Now we get to carry it forward and maybe even create a few more bus memories for the next generation.”
