SAN FRANCISCO, October 1, 2026 — Good news for anyone flying through San Francisco International (SFO): Runway 1R is back in service. It reopened on Tuesday, September 29, after a six-month, $215 million rebuild, finishing ahead of its early-October target. The airport says arrival capacity is already well above where it was during construction.
What happened
SFO closed Runway 1R (part of the 1R/19L pair) on March 30 for repaving, new lighting, taxiway improvements and about 64 miles of new electrical cable. The FAA paid $92.1 million of the cost. While it was closed, SFO could land only about 36 flights an hour, and the airport had warned that around 30% of arrivals could see delays of at least 30 minutes.
With 1R back, the arrival rate is now about 45 flights an hour, and SFO plans to raise it to 48. That is still below the airport’s pre-construction rate of 54 an hour, because an FAA safety rule continues to limit side-by-side approaches to SFO’s closely spaced parallel runways. The FAA has approved modified procedures that allow staggered parallel arrivals.
SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel said the change should make a big difference, adding: “The real cause of delays now will only be weather related.”
| Period | Arrivals per hour |
|---|---|
| Before construction | 54 |
| During 1R closure (Mar 30 – Sep 29) | 36 |
| Now | 45 |
| Planned | 48 (date TBA) |
Looking ahead, SFO expects about 1.02 million passengers during Thanksgiving week, around 20,000 more than last year.
What it means for non-revs
- Fewer misconnects and late-night cancellations on clear days. More arrivals per hour means less of the flow-control delay that has hit SFO all summer, and that helps standby passengers protect onward connections.
- Fog still matters. With side-by-side approaches still restricted, SFO’s capacity drops when weather is poor. On low-visibility mornings, expect arrival metering and delays to return.
- Loads won’t loosen just because the runway is back. The runway work affected delays, not demand. Fall and holiday loads out of SFO will still be heavy, and Thanksgiving week is forecast to be busier than last year.
- Allow extra time at the airport and pre-book parking for the holidays, as SFO advises.
