San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has announced a temporary six-month closure of Runway 1.
The closure, which will begin on 30 March and end on 2 October 2026, will facilitate works to repave the runway surface, as well as allow crews to make adjacent taxiway improvements.
During this period, SFO will operate all departures and arrivals from Runways 28 Left and 28 Right, a configuration often used during clear windy days and one preferred by both airlines and air traffic controllers.
The runway parallel to the construction area, 1 Left, will not be used for takeoffs and landings but will instead be used as an additional taxiway in order to ease congestion on the ground.
SFO has stated that it expects less than 15% of flights to be delayed as a result of the closure, with delays set to average out at under 30 minutes and predominantly occur during peak periods (09:00 – 10:00, 21:00 – 22:00).
Due to the use of Runways 28 Left and 28 Right for takeoff, some communities are expected to experience a temporary increase in departing air traffic overhead.
Additional improvements set to be carried out during the closure include the upgrade of runway lighting and painting of new striping and markings.
Overall, construction has been valued at around 180 million USD, 92.1 million USD of which will be funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Works will be carried out by the Granite Construction Company, which was awarded the work in May 2025.
