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Located in the north of California, 
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is one of the busiest hubs in the Golden State, and, indeed, on the West Coast of the US as a whole. The huge facility handled almost 55 million passengers last year across more than 400,000 aircraft movements, with these planes using its two sets of parallel runways: 10L/28R and 10R/28L, and 1R/19L and 1L/19R.
These are two distinct pairs, with the 10/28 landing strips being around 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) longer than those with the 1/19 headings. As of yesterday, runway 1R/19L has been closed for six months in order to support a repaving initiative, as well as improvements to its adjacent taxiways. However, this is set to have an operational impact on both passengers at the airport and those who live nearby.
The Closure Has Now Begun
As reported by Simple Flying at the time, San Francisco International Airport confirmed in late December of 2025 that this landing strip would be closed from March 30 to October 2 of this year. In a more recent statement, the facility explained the operational changes that will arise as a result of this temporary shutdown, with the headline being that all flights will use Runways 28 Left and 28 Right for now.
San Francisco International Airport went on to say that “this is a common configuration, often used during clear windy days, and was the configuration preferred by both airlines and air traffic controllers.” While runway 1 Left, the adjacent strip to the one that has been closed for repaving works, will not be used for takeoffs and landings for six months, that isn’t to say that it will be totally dormant. SFO explains:
“The runway parallel to the construction area, 1 Left, will not be used for takeoffs and landings but instead will serve as an additional taxiway to reduce ground congestion.”
Impacts On Flyers & Locals
For San Francisco International, not being able to use one of its runways for half a year has logistical ramifications, as it reduces its capacity and operational flexibility. Even with runway 1 Left being used as an extra taxiway to ease congestion, the airport is advising that delays will be more likely during peak periods. These, it says, will typically be from 9:00 am to 10:00 am and 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm local.
Thanks to its proactive approach to the situation, as evidenced by its collaboration with airlines and air traffic controllers and its use of the spare runway as an extra taxiway, the airport hopes that delays will be kept to a minimum. Indeed, provisionally speaking, SFO Airport is expecting “less than 15% of flights to be delayed as a result of the runway closure, with delays averaging less than 30 minutes.”
Guest should thus build extra buffer time into their journeys, particularly if connecting. Flyers aside, the $180 million project (of which the FAA is funding $92.1 million) is also set to impact residents in terms of changes to noise pollution patterns. On this front, SFO says that “some communities will experience a temporary increase in departing air traffic overhead” due to the same runways always being used.
The Top 10 Longest Nonstop Flights From SFO (2026 Rankings)
The list is dominated by Asian airports.
Elsewhere In The US, An Entire Airport Is Set To Shut Down
Closing an airport’s runway is one thing, but shutting down the entire facility itself, even for a smaller hub, is another. This is what is set to happen at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in the US state of Colorado, a facility that only has one runway. Next month, a four-week closure will commence on Thursday, April 23, and last until Thursday, May 21, while “airfield pavement maintenance” is worked on.
The airport describes this operational hiatus as its “annual spring closure,” but, next year, it is set to shut down for an even longer period. Indeed, the Aspen Daily News reports that 2027 will see the airport close for nine months, with a survey suggesting that both residents and local businesses did not feel prepared. The publication also notes that support policies for furloughed airport workers are being explored.
