SFO runway work, FAA restrictions keep flight delays ongoing

San Francisco International Airport passengers are facing more delays than officials initially expected as crews continue a major runway repaving project.

Airport officials say a Federal Aviation Administration restriction on side-by-side landings, combined with the six-month closure of Runway 1R, have led to delays for about 40% of flights.

When the project began in March, SFO had estimated that about 15% of flights would be delayed.

"That FAA procedural change is a far greater impact than this runway project," SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel said.

The airport says some relief is coming. A recent FAA decision to allow staggered arrivals is expected to improve capacity, and officials say operations should be much closer to normal by October.

"When we get to October we'll be returning to a much more normal arrival rate," Yakel said.

The repaving project remains on schedule, according to SFO.

Crews are laying down more than 2,000 tons of asphalt each day as they rebuild Runway 1R. The runway was last repaved about 15 years ago.

SFO airfield program manager Daniel Lee said the work is designed to reduce the risk of unexpected runway closures in the future.

"Potholes or cracks that come up, we have to shut down the runway," Lee said. "It really causes a lot of impacts on passengers, including delays."

The asphalt used on airport runways is higher grade than the material typically used on roads, but officials say it still needs to be replaced about every 10 years.

"We've had closures like this on all of our other runways," Yakel said. "This is really the last major closure we'll be dealing with for a while."

The project also includes work on taxiways, new LED lighting, signage and storm drains.

The total cost is about $215 million, with roughly half funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.