SFO runway closure could cause delays for months
A runway will be closed at SFO from Jan. 16 to July 1, 2024. (KTVU FOX 2)
Flights arriving at San Francisco International Airport could face delays while one SFO runway is shut for months due to a construction project.
Starting Jan. 16, Runway 28 Left at SFO will be closed for five months in order to reconstruct taxiways used by planes. SFO says the project will improve safety, by creating "separate, non-intersecting taxiways."
But the loss of the runway means arriving flights could be delayed by as much as an hour during busy times at the airport, SFO officials acknowledged. Domestic and international arrivals will be affected.
From January to April, 33% of flights could be delayed by 30 to 60 minutes, SFO said. The airport did not provide an estimate on the potential delays as summer travel picks up in May and June, but said it is working with the FAA to revise schedules.
The project is scheduled to be completed by July 1, in time for the Independence Day holiday and the peak of summer travel.
The federally-funded project will cost $55 million in construction, SFO said.