FAA cuts San Francisco arrivals over safety concerns

Key Points:

• The FAA has reduced arrivals at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by one-third to 36 flights per hour this summer due to construction on north-south runways and safety concerns over parallel approaches, with a planned increase to 45 flights per hour in October still below the previous 54 flights per hour limit.
• Travelers should expect that about 25% of all flights to SFO this summer will be delayed by 30 minutes or more, as both the FAA and airport work to increase arrival rates.
• The FAA's flight reductions at SFO are part of broader nationwide efforts to limit airport capacity for safety, following similar measures at Chicago O'Hare and Newark Liberty airports.
• The close proximity of SFO's runways—only 750 feet apart—requires special FAA rules for simultaneous approaches, limiting arrival rates especially in foggy weather conditions common at the airport.
• Airlines such as United and Alaska Airlines are reviewing and monitoring the impact of the FAA's restrictions on their schedules, with United considering possible changes and Alaska noting the situation is evolving rapidly.