Major San Francisco airport change epically frustrates travelers

San Francisco International Airport — once the state’s crown jewel of seamless air travel, and envy of the nation — has become a nightmare hub for commuters.

All down to a new Federal Aviation Administration rule which banned the airport’s famous side-by-side landings — a move travelers say has turned one of America’s beloved airports into a bottleneck of delays and cancellations.

The FAA’s decision, which prohibits simultaneous approaches on SFO’s closely spaced parallel runways, forces aircrafts to stagger landings — even in clear weather. For years, the airport relied on these side-by-side landings to keep traffic moving swiftly.

The timing couldn’t be worse, as SFO began a six-month runway repaving project in March, creating a double whammy for busy travelers.

As a result, SFO’s maximum arrival rate have plunged from 54 flights per hour to just 36 — a 33% reduction that airport officials warn could leave roughly 25% of arriving flight delayed by 30 minutes.

“Approximately one-third of all flights at SFO experienced a delay in April and May,” an SFO spokesperson told The California Post. “We continue to work with the FAA to improve arrival rates at SFO while ensuring that safety remains our highest priority.”

Aggrieved passengers are feeling the impacts, and taking to social media to air out their frustrations.

“SFO is unusable for regional flights since the FAA shut down the parallel runway. Avoid at all costs. I commute weekly. Trust me,” Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer at OpenAI, vented on X.

“The lines are wrapped around the terminal and no customer agents to direct anyone. It is total chaos,” Michael Colbruno posted on X, with a photo of the United Airlines check in area at SFO.

The sentiment has spread online, where Bay Area travelers are increasingly venting about mounting delays.

“SFO was the best airport in the country. But since FAA banned parallel landings it has been chaos,” one furious traveler vented on Reddit’s r/bayarea forum. “A lot of delayed arrivals.”

“The FAA is exploring ways to safely increase the airport arrival rate,” the agency wrote online.

The FAA did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Even after runway work wraps up this fall, SFO’s arrival rate is expected to remain lower because the side-by-side landing has been permanently eliminated due to safety concerns.

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