SFO Flights Face Delays: New FAA Rules Cut Arrivals

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is set to experience significant flight delays due to a combination of runway construction and new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety measures. The FAA has imposed restrictions on how aircraft can approach the airport's parallel runways. Previously permitted side-by-side approaches, even in clear weather, will now require staggered approaches. This modification, which follows an internal review, aims to better align with the FAA's aircraft separation policies. These new regulations, along with a six-month runway repaving project, will reduce SFO's maximum arrival capacity from 54 flights per hour to 36.

The runway project, which commenced recently, involves repaving Runway 1 Right and upgrading adjacent taxiways, lighting, and markings. This $180 million effort, partly funded by the FAA, consolidates operations onto other runways and taxiways. While the runway work is temporary, the FAA has indicated that the approach restrictions are permanent. Airport officials anticipate that even after construction, arrival rates will only return to about 45 flights per hour under the revised FAA rules. The cumulative effect of these changes is expected to increase the potential for delays, affecting approximately 25% of arriving flights by at least 30 minutes.