Trending Now - SFO Faces Arrival Delays Due to Faa's Runway Safety Measures

WHO:

ABC News Business - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is involved in the decision regarding San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

AP News - Doug Yakel is the airport spokesman for SFO.

AP News - Ian Gregor is a spokesman for the FAA.

AP News - United Airlines is the largest airline at SFO.

AP News - Alaska Airlines is the second-largest carrier at SFO.

WHAT:

ABC News Business - The FAA has cut a third of arrivals at SFO due to safety concerns and runway construction.

AP News - The number of plane arrivals at SFO will decrease from 54 to 36 per hour.

AP News - About 25% of arriving flights are expected to be delayed by 30 minutes or more.

AP News - On March 30th, 2026, 15 flights were delayed out of SFO, while no flights experienced delays on March 31st, 2026.

WHERE:

ABC News Business - San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the location affected by the FAA's decision.

AP News - The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three major airports, including San José Mineta International Airport and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.

WHEN:

AP News - The FAA's rule change was announced on March 30th, 2026.

AP News - The runway under construction is set to reopen on October 2nd, 2026.

WHY:

AP News - The FAA cut arrivals due to safety concerns regarding the practice of landing two planes simultaneously on parallel runways that are 750 feet apart.

AP News - The decision is based on the unique safety concerns at SFO, which involve congested airspace and the proximity of surrounding airports.

HOW:

AP News - The FAA's decision involves a temporary runway project and a permanent rule change affecting flight arrivals.

(UPDATED April 1, 2026 13:22 UTC)

The Federal Aviation Administration has decided to cut a third of arrivals at San Francisco International Airport due to safety concerns and ongoing runway construction, reducing the number of plane arrivals from 54 to 36 per hour. This decision, announced on Monday, is expected to lead to about 25 percent of arriving flights being delayed by 30 minutes or more, with 15 flights experiencing delays on Monday and none on Tuesday. The runway under construction is set to reopen October 2nd, as the FAA addresses unique safety issues related to landing two planes simultaneously on parallel runways that are just 750 feet apart.