On ‘The Evening Edit,’ Representative Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, offers commentary on the deadlock over Department of Homeland Security funding and the inability of Democrats to clarify what was achieved by the partial government closure.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is curtailing the volume of incoming flights at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This measure, enacted due to ongoing construction and the activation of new safety regulations, is projected to result in a rise in flight delays.
The FAA announced that this initiative will decrease the peak inbound flight frequency from 54 to 36 flights per hour throughout an extensive runway overhaul. The agency further clarified that the runway undertaking and the safety protocols are distinct actions, each contributing to a nine-flight-per-hour reduction in inbound capacity.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) indicated that these adjustments will cause greater hold-ups, with approximately 25% of incoming flights now expected to face delays of 30 minutes or more, a significant increase from the earlier projection of around 15%.
The airport’s runway resurfacing endeavor will render its two north-south runways inoperative for roughly half a year, consequently imposing greater constraints on capacity at one of the country’s most active air hubs.
THREE FEMALES ESCORTED OFF FRONTIER AIRCRAFT, DETAINED FOR DECLINING TO COVER ADDITIONAL LUGGAGE CHARGE
A United Airlines aircraft departs from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on March 23, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The FAA is additionally disallowing simultaneous parallel arrivals to the airport’s east-west runways, even during fair weather. In place of this, the agency is now mandating “staggered approaches,” where one aircraft is positioned apart from the other on the adjacent runway.
DELTA AIRCRAFT BOUND FOR ATLANTA REVERTS TO BRAZILIAN AIRPORT FOLLOWING ENGINE MALFUNCTION
The FAA has no intention of revoking these limitations even after the runway resurfacing is finalized.
A United Airlines aircraft departs concurrently as a JetBlue aircraft arrives at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, United States on June 8, 2023. (Tayfun CoSkun/Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
United Airlines, which handles approximately half of the traveler volume at San Francisco, stated that the scheduled runway construction could generate flight delays. Alaska Airlines serves as the airport’s next biggest airline, managing roughly 10% of the passenger flow.
The FAA reported that it had not permitted simultaneous parallel approaches during inclement weather, and is now investigating methods to securely boost inbound flight frequency while mitigating hazards associated with visual separation.
UNITED AIRLINES CAUTIONS THAT FLIGHT FARES MIGHT CLIMB 20% AS PETROLEUM COSTS PERSIST IN RISING
The agency asserted that this alteration resulted from a standard assessment which determined that the approaches failed to adhere to aircraft distancing regulations, and is unique to San Francisco.
A panoramic perspective of the San Francisco skyline from above on May 30, 2023, in San Francisco, California. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
These modifications are introduced concurrently as the agency reinforces more extensive air travel security regulations. Earlier this month, the FAA announced it would mandate more stringent helicopter safety protocols and temporarily halt the application of visual separation between fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft near principal airfields.
PRESS HERE TO ACCESS FOX BUSINESS MOBILE CONTENT
These measures stem from an aerial impact in January 2025 involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter, which resulted in the deaths of 67 individuals. The FAA also referenced two latest occurrences, including a close call featuring an American Airlines flight and a police helicopter close to San Antonio airport.
Reuters provided content for this article.