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Dear Friends,
We very much welcome the news that the FAA has issued a safety ruling on SFO Arrivals that reduces the number of hourly flight arrivals. While much of the press frames this news as an “increase in flight delays,” the FAA decision is a major safety development and of course positive for us given our concerns about SFO expansion plans. Also, please note that while the FAA decision is being announced along with a temporary reduction in operations due to runway repavement, the FAA restrictions on arrivals are permanent.
FAA slashes SFO's max hourly flight arrivals, nearly doubling delays
“After reviewing policies and procedures for side-by-side approaches at San Francisco International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that it was restricting the number of hourly flight arrivals.”
FAA reduces SFO arrivals, setting up delays amid runway work and safety concerns
“FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said officials decided that SFO’s longstanding practice of landing two planes at the same time on closely spaced parallel runways that are just 750 feet (228.60 meters) apart — along with congested airspace — was too dangerous. He could not say why the practice had been allowed.”
Expect flight delays in San Francisco as FAA limits arrivals
“The 13th-busiest U.S. airport will experience delays due to a runway repaving project and the agency's decision to prohibit flights from making side-by-side approaches to San Francisco's parallel east-west runways in clear weather, the FAA said…The two measures will reduce maximum rates from 54 flights per hour to 36, the FAA said, adding it does not plan to lift the restrictions once the runway repaving is completed.”
Last May when SFO announced an expansion plan, we alerted City Council that the CEQA process should include a safety review:: “A safety analysis for SFO traffic should include a review of how SFO has been reducing the distance between runways (less safe); an analysis of go-arounds over time; the number and historical tracking of airspace procedures that the FAA manages for SFO; a comprehensive review of all the “letters of agreement” between SFO and FAA; a list of operating procedures, and an overview of any and all known airport safety criteria.”
It appears that the FAA has conducted this critical and long overdue analysis. This said, per SF Gate, “SFO is working with the FAA on ways to improve the arrival rate at SFO." These efforts likely involve SFO’s ongoing GBAS project which raise many noise concerns for us, as well as the lack of attention to the urgent need to establish a program to eliminate night time noise for Palo Alto and the MidPeninsula.
One final update: We have asked Mayor Vicki Venkeer and Vice Mayor Greer Stone for communications on why the City declined to appeal the SF Board of Supervisors approval of SFO’s FEIR, in Superior Court. Understanding why our elected officials make these choices helps inform advocacy, and it is also important for transparency reasons. We will keep following up and relay any news as it comes up.
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