According to one airport commander, 244 aircraft were delayed and 103 aircraft canceled, mainly due to the maintenance project.
For 20 days, starting Saturday, the runway will be closed while a new base is being built along the 1900-foot stretch until it meets the intersection of another runway. The project is expected to end on Friday 27. September and cost $ 16.2 million.
On Twitter Saturday, airlines were busy responding to several frustrated pilots. One person emailed ABC7 News to say that their flight from LAX to SFO was delayed at least five hours.
Jenni and John Price traveled to San Francisco from Bossier City, Lousiana. Their connecting flight to SFO from Dallas landed three hours late.
Back to @flySFO tonight on day 1
of the runway construction / closure.One airport manager says so far today there have been 223 flight delays and 95 cancellations. FAA says delays are on average 3 hours and 30 minutes, (but SFO says it's more than 90 minutes) ✈️ pic.twitter.com/8YkSmwCbKB
– Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) 7 September 2019 [19659007] "I started getting updates through Expedia, it was going to be delayed, delayed, delayed," Jenni said.
Derrick Smith, who lives in Oakland, says his flight to SFO was delayed twice.
"I was late for my job, actually at the new Chase Center for the Warriors," he said, "I should be at work, but I'm not there."
FAA said delays at SFO Saturday on average 3 hours 30 minutes. An SFO airport manager disputed that figure, saying the delays averaged 90 minutes.
For people traveling through SFO for the next 20 days, the best advice? Take early flights before 9am when delays are expected to start. Contact your airline because someone offers to change planes for free.
Despite the frustrating day, some travelers had an upstanding spirit.
"He was trying to leave when we could get out," Jenni Price told her husband, "But I'm saying this is the vacation we're going to be staying and having a good time in San Francisco no matter what."
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