Runway 1 Right at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) officially reopened on September 29, ending a closure that began on March 30.
After completing six months’ worth of repaving and upgrade work, the project officially opened ahead of schedule, meaning SFO can now increase its landing capacity up to 48 planes per hour. For travelers, the reopening should mean fewer delays when weather isn’t an issue.
Here’s a closer look.
What changes for arrivals
The runway closure cut the number of aircraft that can land at SFO each hour from a maximum of 54 flights to 45. On the day the closure began, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also introduced a new arrival procedure that ended side-by-side approaches in clear weather. That pushed the hourly maximum down to 36 flights.
Now, with the runway open again and the FAA’s revised procedures allowing modified parallel landings, SFO expects the hourly arrival rate to return to 45 to 48 flights. The airport anticipates a significantly lower chance of delays when weather isn’t a factor.
200,000 tons of asphalt
Over the last 6 months, Granite Construction Company has repaved the runway’s surface layer, improved adjacent taxiways, upgraded lighting, and painted new striping and markings. The project is estimated to cost $215 million, with the FAA funding $92.1 million.
The work involved pouring 200,000 tons of asphalt, replacing 64 miles of electrical cable, and installing 2,440 new light fixtures. Crews also painted 12 acres of new markings and signage, and replaced 88 guidance signs.
Now, travelers can fly in and out of SFO with the reassurance that it’s back up to full capacity.