FAA restricts landings at San Francisco Airport

Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday that it would be imposing new safety measures at San Francisco International Airport. These restrictions will?limit some landings? and 'lead to significant delays?.

The FAA has said that the airport is experiencing delays as a result of a runway repaving and FAA's decision to ban flights from making parallel approaches to San Francisco’s east-west runways when the weather is clear. The FAA is 'exploring ways to increase arrival rates at the 13th busiest airport in the United States safely. Two measures will lower the maximum rate from 54 to 36 flights per hour. The FAA has no plans to lift restrictions after the runway repaving is complete.

The project to re-route the airport's runways will take out two of its north-south routes for approximately six months.

Alaska Airlines accounts for 10% of passenger traffic in San Francisco.

The FAA now requires "staggered approach, with an aircraft offset from that on the parallel runway. The FAA has never permitted side-by-side approach in bad weather and said that it is exploring ways to increase airport arrival rates safely.

The FAA has taken several steps to reduce accidents caused by 'visual separation' issues.

The FAA announced earlier this month it would tighten helicopter safety regulations and suspend the?use visual separation between planes and helicopters in close proximity to?major airports.

The announcement comes after the mid-air collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines regional plane and an 'army helicopter, which killed 67 people. The FAA issued the new rules citing two recent incidents, including the near miss between an American Airlines flight near the San Antonio Airport and a police helicopter. (Reporting and editing by Mark Porter; David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)