San Francisco International Airport expects delays starting in March
- - San Francisco International Airport expects delays starting in March
Noe Padilla, USA TODAYFebruary 18, 2026 at 1:51 AM
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Travelers should expect delays at San Francisco International Airport starting March 30, as the airport will close one runway for six months to perform repairs and improvements.
During this period, the San Francisco International Airport expects fewer than 10 percent of flights to be delayed by at least 30 minutes, as all arrivals and departures will be handled on the airport's two runways.
This closure should not affect which terminals are available for boarding, but it will affect flights' takeoff and landing schedules. If travelers are flying into or out of San Francisco's airport and have a connecting flight, folks should expect delays and plan accordingly when booking their tickets.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: A United Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on November 07, 2025 in San Francisco, California
The airport will be repaving the surface layer on the right side of runway 1. In addition, Granite Construction Company will make improvements to adjacent taxiways, upgrading lighting and painting new striping and markings.
The total cost of the project is expected to be about $180 million, with the Federal Aviation Administration providing $92.1 million in funding for the improvements.
the Department of Transportation announced their desire for travelers to start dressing up for flying. Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Travelers walk through the airport during holiday travel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 22, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. In November, the Department of Transportation announced their desire for travelers to start dressing up for flying. Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.
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Travelers walk through the airport during holiday travel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 22, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. In November, the Department of Transportation announced their desire for travelers to start dressing up for flying. Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.
">Travelers walk through the airport during holiday travel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 22, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. In November, the Department of Transportation announced their desire for travelers to start dressing up for flying. Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.
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1 / 22See holiday travelers as US fliers are asked to dress for the airport
Travelers walk through the airport during holiday travel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 22, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. In November, the Department of Transportation announced their desire for travelers to start dressing up for flying. Citing an undeniable rise in bad behavior on airplanes, the DOT announced a new campaign meant to encourage civility in air travel.
Am I owed anything if my flight is delayed?
When it comes to delayed flights, it depends on the circumstances and the airline.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, if a flight is delayed for uncontrollable reasons, such as severe weather or local emergencies, the airline does not owe travelers anything extra.
If a flight is delayed for controllable reasons, such as refueling or crew issues, but the traveler has not waited more than 3 hours, airlines are not required to provide any compensation.
If a traveler's flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, airlines are required to provide some form of compensation, and each airline offers different forms, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
All major American airlines will provide passengers with a meal or a meal voucher.
However, some airlines, such as Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and Southwest, provide travelers with a credit or travel voucher in the event of a delay.
If a flight is delayed overnight, nearly all American Airlines flights, excluding Frontier, will provide passengers with complimentary hotel accommodation and transportation to the hotel.
All airlines can rebook a passenger on the same airline for no additional cost.
What happens if my flight is delayed? 2 critical questions you need to ask when flight is canceled, delayed
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SFO warns at least 10% of flights will be delayed due to runway repair
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