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SFO Travelers Endure Cancellations, Delays During Runway Repair Project

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL (KPIX) - San Francisco International Airport officials were advising travelers to allow extra travel time, and expect delays for 20 days, starting Saturday, due to repairs on one of its busiest runways.

Crews will be removing surface paving, and installing a new base layer on Runway 28 Left (28L). SFO said up to 600 construction truck deliveries are expected in a 24-period during peak times.

Drivers should expect more traffic at the intersection of Millbrae Avenue and Old Bayshore Highway. Some lanes may be closed during construction.

As of 10 p.m. Saturday, SFO says there were 247 delays, 107 cancellations, and delays averaged 3 hours.

"You see how I am dealing with this, just taking rest, waiting for my flight so I can go home and sleep and wake up in the morning," said traveler Fahad Farooqi.

He was napping in the terminal, waiting for his flight to Seattle. Farooqi has been traveling for almost two days from Pakistan.

He received text messages about delays from United Airlines, alerting him that runway construction is reducing the number of planes the FAA will allow to land at SFO.

"We flew from Los Angeles," said Esther Lord. "It was when we were just about to board, that they said there was a delay."

Luckily, Lord's delay won't cause her to miss her flight home to New Zealand.

"We're due back at work on Tuesday, so if we didn't get this flight that would sort of change those plans. I don't think our bosses would be too happy," she added.

SFO says the closure is expected to affect about 26 flights a day. Airlines are voluntarily reducing their flight schedules, cutting total flights by 14 percent.

United Airlines is going a step further and issuing travel waivers for customers booked during the construction period. They will allow them to change their flights or connect through a different airport without paying a change fee.

The runway is expected to reopen on Friday, September 27th.

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