SFO Flight Delays Up 60%; United Predicts Improvement

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) experienced a significant increase in flight delays during the spring, with a 60% rise in the rate of flights arriving at least 15 minutes late compared to the first three months of the year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Last month alone, one out of every three flights into SFO faced delays. These disruptions were attributed to ongoing runway repaving projects on the airport's north-south runways, which are expected to continue until the fall, and new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety measures implemented in late March. The FAA's ban on simultaneous side-by-side landings on parallel runways reduced the airport's hourly landing capacity, leading to increased air traffic congestion and holding patterns for aircraft. United Airlines, the largest carrier at SFO, announced on Thursday that improvements are anticipated in the coming weeks. The airline stated it has collaborated with the FAA on a "new approach" designed to increase the number of planes that can land per hour at SFO. United's chief operating officer expressed optimism that landing rates will improve within the next two to three weeks, though full recovery to previous capacity levels remains uncertain.