San Francisco airport construction
The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will close a major runway for repairs from September 7–26, and we expect it’ll cause flight cancellations and delays. We want to help, so we removed some flights from our schedule and rebooked customers to help reduce any disruptions to their travel plans.

We’re also offering a travel waiver that gives you flexibility to change your flight or connect in a different city. We will continue to work with other airports to rebook connecting customers through those cities while the airport runway is closed.

We recommend changing your flight or allowing more time to get to and from your destination. If that’s not possible, make sure you’re checking your flight status before you head to the airport.

The airport’s AirTrain will also be periodically closed at night due to AirTrain construction, so we recommend allowing extra time to get around the airport if you’re traveling in the evening and use the AirTrain to get between terminals. You can find more information on the San Francisco International Airport website.

20-Day Closure of Runway 28L at SFO Set to Begin on September 7th

Airlines implement voluntary flight schedule adjustments to reduce delays

SAN FRANCISCO - August 7, 2019 – the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is set to close Runway 28L on September 7, 2019, for 20 days to construct a new base layer below the runway surface. The runway is expected to reopen on Friday, September 27, 2019.

Because the closure will reduce the Airport’s overall runway capacity, SFO advises travelers to expect delays during this period. Airlines have collaborated with SFO to voluntarily reduce their flight schedules to lessen the length of delays. When combined with reductions from other non-airline flight operations, total flights at SFO have been reduced by 13% during the 20 days of the runway 28L closure. Airlines have also re-timed certain flights to reduce demand during peak periods.

With the voluntary schedule adjustments in place, flight delays are expected to average 30-45 minutes, with some flights experiencing maximum delays of approximately 2 hours. SFO recommends that travelers opt for early morning flights before 9:00 a.m. PDT during this period, as delays are expected to begin after 9:00 a.m. PDT each day during the closure, and continue for the remainder of the day. Both domestic and international flights may be affected by this activity, with short-haul flights being most affected. The period of Wednesday through Friday will see the largest amount of flight activity, and thus the most potential for delays.

The closure is being conducted to construct a new base for Runway 28L, one of two runways used primarily for arriving flights, in the area where it intersects with Runway 1L and 1R, which are primarily used for departing flights. These runway intersections are the most heavily-traveled areas of the entire runway system at SFO, with more than 68% of all flights crossing these intersections.

The total length of Runway 28L is 11,381 feet. The project will reconstruct a 1,900-foot section of Runway 28L, replace lighting and drainage infrastructure, and overlay a 600-foot section of Runway 1L.SFO repaved the entire top layer of Runway 28L in spring 2017. During this project, core sampling and ground-penetrating radar indicated that the base layer was showing signs of fatigue cracking due to a large amount of aircraft activity in this area. This issue required additional investigation and engineering that could not be addressed at that time. SFO staff have evaluated multiple options and concluded that the best long-term solution is to excavate the section of Runway 28L at the intersection of Runway 1L and 1R to reconstruct the pavement structure, comprised of a cementitious aggregate base and a top asphalt surface.

With input from airlines at SFO, the project team selected September 7-27, 2019 for the closure to avoid the busy summer and year-end holiday travel seasons. This timeframe was also chosen for the low probability of precipitation, as dry weather is necessary for asphalt paving.

The contract for the Runway 28L Reconstruction project was awarded to Golden Gate Constructors. The project is federally-funded, and the total project cost is expected to be $16.2 million.