The FAA has approved revised landing procedures at San Francisco International Airport that will raise arrivals from 36 to 40 per hour by Aug. 12 and to 42 per hour by the end of the month. The change permits staggered parallel landings—keeping one aircraft clearly ahead of another—while full side‑by‑side landings remain banned in poor visibility. The update arrives as SFO operates with two runways closed for about six months, a factor that has contributed to recent delays.
FAA Approves New SFO Runway Rules To Cut Delays — Arrival Rate To Rise From 36 To 42 Per Hour
Travelers at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) should see fewer delays after the Federal Aviation Administration approved revised landing procedures that allow more frequent arrivals.
A United Airlines passenger plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
What’s Changing
The FAA said arrivals at SFO will increase from 36 planes per hour to 40 per hour by Aug. 12 and then to 42 per hour by the end of the month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The agency will permit staggered parallel landings on the airport’s east‑west runways, meaning pilots can land one aircraft clearly ahead of another while maintaining required safety separations.
An Air Canada Airlines plane prepares to take off from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Safety Conditions Still Apply
The agency emphasized that full side‑by‑side parallel landings will remain banned whenever visibility or weather conditions deteriorate. The March restrictions initially prohibited true side‑by‑side arrivals—even when pilots had the other aircraft in sight—shifting procedures to staggered approaches to reduce risk.
Travelers use self-service kiosks in the Delta check-in area at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Bloomberg via Getty Images
“While this will not fully restore the arrival rate we had when true side‑by‑side landings were permitted, this is nonetheless a step in the right direction,” said airport spokesperson Doug Yakel.
Operations, Delays And Context
The updated procedures come as SFO is operating with two runways out of service for approximately six months due to construction. Those runways were closed in March and are not expected to reopen until October, reducing airport capacity during a busy travel season.
After the FAA’s March restrictions were implemented, the airport reported that more than one‑third of flights experienced delays of 15 minutes or more, compared with about one‑fifth before the change. Flight‑tracking site Flightly showed roughly 30%–40% of SFO flights were running nearly 20 minutes late as of Saturday.
Safety Scrutiny
The move to tighten parallel landing rules followed increased scrutiny of aviation safety after several high‑profile incidents, including a fatal crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport earlier this year. The FAA says the revised staggered procedure balances improved throughput with continued safety protections.
Bottom Line: Permitting staggered parallel landings should reduce delays and increase arrival capacity at SFO, but it will not fully restore pre‑restriction throughput while two runways remain closed and when weather limits visibility.
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