This article was first published in Yesterday's Airlines as a three part series. You can view the original here.
San Francisco International Airport: Gateway to the Golden Gate
Plane Spotting Edition
Andy T. Payne
Andy T. Payne
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a unique and remarkable past due to the numerous expansions, demolitions, and reconstructions that have taken place in order to better suit the needs of the travelling public. It serves as a gateway to the San Francisco Bay Area, composed of three main cities: San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, with populations of 852,469; 406,253; and 1,015,785 respectively. With a total population of over 7 million, the Bay Area is a diverse region, with each main city serving a different role. San Francisco is a tourism and business magnet, Oakland is one of the busiest port cities in America, and San Jose is a major high-tech center, hence the nickname “Silicon Valley.”
Beginnings
San Francisco International traces its roots to Darius Ogden Mills, a distinguished banker and once the wealthiest man in California. D.O.Mills’ family leased 150 acres of their estate, located 13 miles south of downtown San Francisco, to the City and County of San Francisco for $1,500 per year. On June 6, 1927, operations officially began at Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco. With a 4,590 foot runway, a total of 19 aircraft landed, carrying 19 passengers, in the first month. As part of his touring of the United States, Charles Lindbergh visited Mills Field with The Spirit of St. Louis in September of the same year. Shortly after, Mills Field gained its first hangar, followed by three more in 1928. Boeing Air Transport, a precursor to United Airlines, landed a Boeing Model 40, the first airliner to use Mills Field. In 1930, city leaders decided to purchase 1,112 acres from the Mills Estate for $1,050,000 and renamed Mills Field to San Francisco Airport the following year. During this time, Western Air Express and Maddox Air Lines utilized Mills Field, but then relocated to Oakland, while Century Pacific began service with their sole Fokker trimotor. Pacific Air Transport joined in December, 1932, followed by United Air Lines in May, 1934. United would become a major player at San Francisco Airport, a title that remains today. By 1936, San Francisco Airport had three runways, forming a triangle, and a seaplane harbor under construction.
Nineteen Thirty-seven was a great year for San Francisco Airport. On the first day of 1937, United began scheduled DC-3 service from San Francisco to New York and Los Angeles. Transcontinental & Western Air became a major player with the construction of their base on airport property. Funded by the Public Works Administration, a new administration building replaced the original one from 1927.
In addition, Pan American leased Treasure Island, located 18 miles northeast of San Francisco Airport, from San Francisco and began operations the following year using their world-renowned fleet of transpacific flying boats, just in time for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. In compensation for the utilization of Treasure Island, San Francisco Airport relinquished 20 acres for a coast guard facility.
United eventually relocated their Western Division maintenance base from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to San Francisco Airport in 1940. United still has their maintenance base in San Francisco today. During the war, San Francisco Airport became a U.S. Army Air Force training center, lined with C-47s, while Treasure Island became a naval station. Pan Am relocated their flying boats and Pacific-Alaska division to San Francisco.
The Postwar Era
World War II ended, allowing Pan American to resume international service. Instead of Martin M-130s and Boeing 314 flying boats, land based planes, like the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation family crossed the Pacific. In 1947, the code “SFO” appeared in the American Aviation Air Traffic Guide. The entrance of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines and Philippine Airlines resulted in the addition of “International” to San Francisco Airport. SFO reached the one million annual passengers mark in 1947, followed by two million in 1952. It became apparent that the current administration building/terminal was insufficient for the postwar explosion of traffic, so construction of a new terminal began. This new terminal, named the “Central Terminal” was dedicated on August 27, 1954. A celebration ensued, and lasted three days, and featured numerous civilian and military aircraft. The Air Force brought their newest jet fighters and bombers, including the enormous B-36 Peacekeeper and B-47 Stratojet, foreshadowing the jet airliners to come. Crowds numbered in the hundreds of thousands, watching airshows and touring the terminal and apron. The central terminal consisted of one administration building with a control tower, observation deck, restaurant, and three piers. The piers were named clockwise from the far left, starting with the letter B.
In the latter half of the 1950s, SFO became a profitable operation and was on the way on becoming a powerhouse for the region. The first Hilton Airport Hotel opened in 1962, at San Francisco International. The San Francisco Airport Hilton contained 380 rooms and a nightclub, located near the Bayshore Highway.
The Jet Age
San Francisco International Airport officially entered the jet age with the first commercial jet service provided by Trans World Airlines with the Boeing 707-120 in March, 1959. Along with the jet airliner came the Jetway. San Francisco International was one of the first airports in the world to install a jet bridge. (Atlanta’s first Jetway came only one week prior.) American installed them for their 707s and soon after United installed them for their Douglas DC-8 fleet on July 29, 1959. The DC-8s, and later Boeing 720s, would park parallel to the terminal, allowing two Jetways to be used. It was later realized that parking face-in would be a more efficient use of space.
British Overseas Airways Corporation’ (a precursor to British Airways) began their worldwide LHR-JFK-SFO-HNL--HND-HKG route using Boeing 707-420s in 1959. In 1960, Lufthansa began service to SFO using Boeing 707-320s. Other Asian and European airlines gradually replaced their propliners with jet aircraft during this time. Pan Am began the first all-jet cargo service in the early 1960s.
By 1962, the jet age was in full swing at San Francisco International, with SFO becoming the 4th busiest airport in the nation. Runway 28 Left was lengthened in order to accommodate the heavier jet aircraft.
The new South Terminal opened in 1963, starting a growing trend that would encompass the parking lot over the course of several decades, giving it the distinctive circular shape seen today. The South Terminal contained the already existing E Pier, and two more piers. The F Pier contained two satellites, one to the east and one to the west (not shown). Trans World Airlines used the eastern satellite, and Continental and Eastern used the western satellite. The G Pier was used by Pan Am. With the opening, Western moved along with Pan Am, TWA, Continental, and international carriers. Soon afterwards, Pan Am built a base at SFO, composed of a maintenance center, service center, and offices. In 1964 a parking structure opened.
A new airline emerged at SFO, the SFO Helicopter Airlines. Formed in 1961, the SFO Helicopter Airlines offered flights from and to various points on San Francisco and Oakland. In the above photograph, there are three Sikorsky S-61s. They used a small fleet of Sikorsky S-61s and S-62, along with a hovercraft and, later, Bell 206s. SFO Helicopter has the distinction of being “the first scheduled air cushion vehicle passenger operation in the United States.” They folded in the 80s.
In 1966, San Francisco International reached the ten million annual passengers mark. By then, the United Service Organization opened a lounge catering to the personnel of the United States Armed Forces.
The Boeing 747 first visited SFO on December 21, 1969. Although a Pan Am 747-100 was the first 747 to visit, TWA started the first scheduled 747 service. On January 5, 1970, Shirley Temple Black christened the 747 N93104, named the “City of San Francisco,” with champagne. In order to handle the first widebody, TWA enlarged part of their satellite and added Jetways. American Airlines added two sets of double Jetways in order to handle their 747 fleet.
The first Douglas DC-10 service (by United) started in 1971, followed by the Lockheed L1011 in 1972 (by TWA). By 1972, a large hangar, situated near the threshold of runway 19 Right was complete. Named the “Superbay,” the hangar was built to fit TWA’s and American’s 747s, but United eventually acquired part of it for their 747s. The Superbay is one of the most recognizable buildings at SFO, and remains here today. The Superbay is behind the Golden Gate Airlines DHC-7.
In 1974, a Rotunda at Pier G was complete. Originally called Rotunda G, it would be renamed Rotunda A in 1979. Rotunda G could hold six 747s, and was attached to Pier G by a narrow walkway. Rotunda G became the International Terminal.
Throughout the years, SFO had plans for expansions, some of which never happened. A diagram of SFO in 1968 called for 7 Rotundas and an additional two oval gating structures. Another called for an expansion into the bay and the creation of a “Cargo City” as large as the terminal area. In addition, SFO’s four runways are in pairs, and only 750 feet apart (from centerline to centerline). Because of this, there have been numerous designs for new runways more spaced apart, giving greater separation and allowing simultaneous arrivals in IFR weather conditions. Unfortunately, this plan will probably never will come due to environmentalists protesting and the cost of such undertakings.
As part of its west coast tour, one Concorde visited San Francisco International. F-WTSC, Concorde 2, landed in 1974. The visit was the first, and currently the last, visit of a supersonic transport (SST) at SFO.
During the 70s, a Television show was filmed at SFO, and was actually about events happening at the airport itself. San Francisco International was, unfortunately, unsuccessful and NBC cancelled it after a few episodes. The show does go behind the scenes of SFO, giving the audience a unique perspective of the operations at one of the busiest airports in the nation.
Deregulation
Construction of the North Terminal finished in 1979, along with it was the relettering of the piers. Pier G (the one with a rotunda) became Pier A and the rest were relettered in a counterclockwise fashion. A museum exhibitions program began the next year in the North Terminal. SFO reached the 20 million annual passengers mark in 1981, and that number would increase with the opening of Boarding Area E in between the North and Central Terminals. Boarding Area E was part of the North Terminal. A new control tower opened, three stories higher than the 1954 tower, situated in front of it. The Central Terminal experienced a major renovation, with the destruction of the two piers and the construction of a single Boarding Area. In 1983, the Central Terminal became the International terminal.
During the deregulated era, existing airlines expanded their routes and new airlines rose, leading to merger-mania. Pacific Southwest Airlines expanded to Reno, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and other southwestern destinations. PSA was later taken over by USAir. The merger was not a success and resulted in the loss of most PSA routes. PSA’s rival Air California (later AirCal) also expanded, even to Chicago O’Hare and Anchorage. Like PSA, AirCal was taken over by a larger nationwide carrier - in this case American Airlines. Down the line, USAir became US Airways and merged with American Airlines. Therefore PSA and AirCal, two of the great Californian airlines, became indirectly, one.
Another Californian airline, Air West, which became Hughes Airwest in 1970, was based at SFO. The fleet was repainted in a scheme of mostly yellow after a mid-air collision, hence the name “the flying banana.” In 1980, it merged with Republic, an airline formed by the merger of Southern and North Central. Republic in turn merged with Northwest Orient six years later. Northwest later merged with Delta Air Lines in 2010.
Southwest Airlines, originally an interstate carrier from Texas, took advantage of the the PSA-USAir, AirCal-AA, and Hughes Airwest-Republic mergers and started intra and interstate service. Southwest originally started at SFO, but then used Oakland Metropolitan for most Bay Area flights, with San Jose service following later. Alaska Airlines, of Seattle, entered also. Alaska Airlines uses SFO for some US-Mexico routes. Other airlines also came and went. American Trans Air arrived, but left in 2006 when it relocated to Oakland Metropolitan.Eastern Air Lines left in 1991, with their bankruptcy. TWA was taken over by American in 2001 and Continental merged with United in 2011. Their satellite in the South Terminal was used for United Connection.
SFO experienced three major events on December 10, 2000. The current International Terminal opened, the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpin Aviation museum opened in the International Terminal opened, and the “old” International Terminal closed. The International Terminal contains two piers, joined by a rectangular terminal building. Boarding Area A is next to Rotunda A. Boarding Area G is west of Boarding Area F. Pier G is used by Star Alliance airlines, mostly United’s international flights. Boarding Area A is used by Oneworld and non-aligned airlines. In 2003, the Airtrain system opened, linking all the terminals and rental car facility. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) introduced service to the International Service soon after.
Rotunda A was in the way of three of the International Terminal’s gates, so Silverado Contractors demolished the pier and rotunda over the course of six working days in late December 2005/ early January 2006. During this time, the South Terminal was renamed as Terminal 1, the Central Terminal became Terminal 2, and the North Terminal became Terminal 3. These names remain today.
Virgin America decided to base operations at San Francisco, and began service in 2007 with a fleet of Airbus A319s and A320s. “Redwood” has grown to become a major airline at SFO, offering today domestic and international service. Just recently Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America.
After a partial demolition and reconstruction, Terminal 2 reopened its doors on April 11, 2011. The Boarding Area D has LEED Gold Certification, meaning it is a “green” building. Terminal 2 features a museum gallery and art gallery, along with water bottle-filling stations. As a result, Terminal 2 is considered one of the best Terminals at SFO. Virgin America and American currently occupy the 14 gates, some of which are common use. American left Boarding Area E, allowing it to be renovated. The renovation of Boarding Area E finished in 2014, and is currently used by United. Construction of the new control tower, situated between Terminal 2 and Boarding Area C, finished this year.
The future of SFO seems favorable, with more renovations to come. The new control tower opened in 2016, followed by the destruction of the 1983 tower and reopening of the observation deck in around 2019. Boarding Area B will be replaced near 2020. Traffic is expected to rise at the already space-constricted SFO, but San Francisco International will do what is does best, and make do.
San Francisco International traces its roots to Darius Ogden Mills, a distinguished banker and once the wealthiest man in California. D.O.Mills’ family leased 150 acres of their estate, located 13 miles south of downtown San Francisco, to the City and County of San Francisco for $1,500 per year. On June 6, 1927, operations officially began at Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco. With a 4,590 foot runway, a total of 19 aircraft landed, carrying 19 passengers, in the first month. As part of his touring of the United States, Charles Lindbergh visited Mills Field with The Spirit of St. Louis in September of the same year. Shortly after, Mills Field gained its first hangar, followed by three more in 1928. Boeing Air Transport, a precursor to United Airlines, landed a Boeing Model 40, the first airliner to use Mills Field. In 1930, city leaders decided to purchase 1,112 acres from the Mills Estate for $1,050,000 and renamed Mills Field to San Francisco Airport the following year. During this time, Western Air Express and Maddox Air Lines utilized Mills Field, but then relocated to Oakland, while Century Pacific began service with their sole Fokker trimotor. Pacific Air Transport joined in December, 1932, followed by United Air Lines in May, 1934. United would become a major player at San Francisco Airport, a title that remains today. By 1936, San Francisco Airport had three runways, forming a triangle, and a seaplane harbor under construction.
Nineteen Thirty-seven was a great year for San Francisco Airport. On the first day of 1937, United began scheduled DC-3 service from San Francisco to New York and Los Angeles. Transcontinental & Western Air became a major player with the construction of their base on airport property. Funded by the Public Works Administration, a new administration building replaced the original one from 1927.
In addition, Pan American leased Treasure Island, located 18 miles northeast of San Francisco Airport, from San Francisco and began operations the following year using their world-renowned fleet of transpacific flying boats, just in time for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. In compensation for the utilization of Treasure Island, San Francisco Airport relinquished 20 acres for a coast guard facility.
United eventually relocated their Western Division maintenance base from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to San Francisco Airport in 1940. United still has their maintenance base in San Francisco today. During the war, San Francisco Airport became a U.S. Army Air Force training center, lined with C-47s, while Treasure Island became a naval station. Pan Am relocated their flying boats and Pacific-Alaska division to San Francisco.
The Postwar Era
World War II ended, allowing Pan American to resume international service. Instead of Martin M-130s and Boeing 314 flying boats, land based planes, like the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation family crossed the Pacific. In 1947, the code “SFO” appeared in the American Aviation Air Traffic Guide. The entrance of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines and Philippine Airlines resulted in the addition of “International” to San Francisco Airport. SFO reached the one million annual passengers mark in 1947, followed by two million in 1952. It became apparent that the current administration building/terminal was insufficient for the postwar explosion of traffic, so construction of a new terminal began. This new terminal, named the “Central Terminal” was dedicated on August 27, 1954. A celebration ensued, and lasted three days, and featured numerous civilian and military aircraft. The Air Force brought their newest jet fighters and bombers, including the enormous B-36 Peacekeeper and B-47 Stratojet, foreshadowing the jet airliners to come. Crowds numbered in the hundreds of thousands, watching airshows and touring the terminal and apron. The central terminal consisted of one administration building with a control tower, observation deck, restaurant, and three piers. The piers were named clockwise from the far left, starting with the letter B.
In the latter half of the 1950s, SFO became a profitable operation and was on the way on becoming a powerhouse for the region. The first Hilton Airport Hotel opened in 1962, at San Francisco International. The San Francisco Airport Hilton contained 380 rooms and a nightclub, located near the Bayshore Highway.
The Jet Age
San Francisco International Airport officially entered the jet age with the first commercial jet service provided by Trans World Airlines with the Boeing 707-120 in March, 1959. Along with the jet airliner came the Jetway. San Francisco International was one of the first airports in the world to install a jet bridge. (Atlanta’s first Jetway came only one week prior.) American installed them for their 707s and soon after United installed them for their Douglas DC-8 fleet on July 29, 1959. The DC-8s, and later Boeing 720s, would park parallel to the terminal, allowing two Jetways to be used. It was later realized that parking face-in would be a more efficient use of space.
British Overseas Airways Corporation’ (a precursor to British Airways) began their worldwide LHR-JFK-SFO-HNL--HND-HKG route using Boeing 707-420s in 1959. In 1960, Lufthansa began service to SFO using Boeing 707-320s. Other Asian and European airlines gradually replaced their propliners with jet aircraft during this time. Pan Am began the first all-jet cargo service in the early 1960s.
By 1962, the jet age was in full swing at San Francisco International, with SFO becoming the 4th busiest airport in the nation. Runway 28 Left was lengthened in order to accommodate the heavier jet aircraft.
The new South Terminal opened in 1963, starting a growing trend that would encompass the parking lot over the course of several decades, giving it the distinctive circular shape seen today. The South Terminal contained the already existing E Pier, and two more piers. The F Pier contained two satellites, one to the east and one to the west (not shown). Trans World Airlines used the eastern satellite, and Continental and Eastern used the western satellite. The G Pier was used by Pan Am. With the opening, Western moved along with Pan Am, TWA, Continental, and international carriers. Soon afterwards, Pan Am built a base at SFO, composed of a maintenance center, service center, and offices. In 1964 a parking structure opened.
A new airline emerged at SFO, the SFO Helicopter Airlines. Formed in 1961, the SFO Helicopter Airlines offered flights from and to various points on San Francisco and Oakland. In the above photograph, there are three Sikorsky S-61s. They used a small fleet of Sikorsky S-61s and S-62, along with a hovercraft and, later, Bell 206s. SFO Helicopter has the distinction of being “the first scheduled air cushion vehicle passenger operation in the United States.” They folded in the 80s.
In 1966, San Francisco International reached the ten million annual passengers mark. By then, the United Service Organization opened a lounge catering to the personnel of the United States Armed Forces.
The Boeing 747 first visited SFO on December 21, 1969. Although a Pan Am 747-100 was the first 747 to visit, TWA started the first scheduled 747 service. On January 5, 1970, Shirley Temple Black christened the 747 N93104, named the “City of San Francisco,” with champagne. In order to handle the first widebody, TWA enlarged part of their satellite and added Jetways. American Airlines added two sets of double Jetways in order to handle their 747 fleet.
The first Douglas DC-10 service (by United) started in 1971, followed by the Lockheed L1011 in 1972 (by TWA). By 1972, a large hangar, situated near the threshold of runway 19 Right was complete. Named the “Superbay,” the hangar was built to fit TWA’s and American’s 747s, but United eventually acquired part of it for their 747s. The Superbay is one of the most recognizable buildings at SFO, and remains here today. The Superbay is behind the Golden Gate Airlines DHC-7.
In 1974, a Rotunda at Pier G was complete. Originally called Rotunda G, it would be renamed Rotunda A in 1979. Rotunda G could hold six 747s, and was attached to Pier G by a narrow walkway. Rotunda G became the International Terminal.
Throughout the years, SFO had plans for expansions, some of which never happened. A diagram of SFO in 1968 called for 7 Rotundas and an additional two oval gating structures. Another called for an expansion into the bay and the creation of a “Cargo City” as large as the terminal area. In addition, SFO’s four runways are in pairs, and only 750 feet apart (from centerline to centerline). Because of this, there have been numerous designs for new runways more spaced apart, giving greater separation and allowing simultaneous arrivals in IFR weather conditions. Unfortunately, this plan will probably never will come due to environmentalists protesting and the cost of such undertakings.
As part of its west coast tour, one Concorde visited San Francisco International. F-WTSC, Concorde 2, landed in 1974. The visit was the first, and currently the last, visit of a supersonic transport (SST) at SFO.
During the 70s, a Television show was filmed at SFO, and was actually about events happening at the airport itself. San Francisco International was, unfortunately, unsuccessful and NBC cancelled it after a few episodes. The show does go behind the scenes of SFO, giving the audience a unique perspective of the operations at one of the busiest airports in the nation.
Deregulation
Construction of the North Terminal finished in 1979, along with it was the relettering of the piers. Pier G (the one with a rotunda) became Pier A and the rest were relettered in a counterclockwise fashion. A museum exhibitions program began the next year in the North Terminal. SFO reached the 20 million annual passengers mark in 1981, and that number would increase with the opening of Boarding Area E in between the North and Central Terminals. Boarding Area E was part of the North Terminal. A new control tower opened, three stories higher than the 1954 tower, situated in front of it. The Central Terminal experienced a major renovation, with the destruction of the two piers and the construction of a single Boarding Area. In 1983, the Central Terminal became the International terminal.
During the deregulated era, existing airlines expanded their routes and new airlines rose, leading to merger-mania. Pacific Southwest Airlines expanded to Reno, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and other southwestern destinations. PSA was later taken over by USAir. The merger was not a success and resulted in the loss of most PSA routes. PSA’s rival Air California (later AirCal) also expanded, even to Chicago O’Hare and Anchorage. Like PSA, AirCal was taken over by a larger nationwide carrier - in this case American Airlines. Down the line, USAir became US Airways and merged with American Airlines. Therefore PSA and AirCal, two of the great Californian airlines, became indirectly, one.
Another Californian airline, Air West, which became Hughes Airwest in 1970, was based at SFO. The fleet was repainted in a scheme of mostly yellow after a mid-air collision, hence the name “the flying banana.” In 1980, it merged with Republic, an airline formed by the merger of Southern and North Central. Republic in turn merged with Northwest Orient six years later. Northwest later merged with Delta Air Lines in 2010.
Southwest Airlines, originally an interstate carrier from Texas, took advantage of the the PSA-USAir, AirCal-AA, and Hughes Airwest-Republic mergers and started intra and interstate service. Southwest originally started at SFO, but then used Oakland Metropolitan for most Bay Area flights, with San Jose service following later. Alaska Airlines, of Seattle, entered also. Alaska Airlines uses SFO for some US-Mexico routes. Other airlines also came and went. American Trans Air arrived, but left in 2006 when it relocated to Oakland Metropolitan.Eastern Air Lines left in 1991, with their bankruptcy. TWA was taken over by American in 2001 and Continental merged with United in 2011. Their satellite in the South Terminal was used for United Connection.
SFO experienced three major events on December 10, 2000. The current International Terminal opened, the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpin Aviation museum opened in the International Terminal opened, and the “old” International Terminal closed. The International Terminal contains two piers, joined by a rectangular terminal building. Boarding Area A is next to Rotunda A. Boarding Area G is west of Boarding Area F. Pier G is used by Star Alliance airlines, mostly United’s international flights. Boarding Area A is used by Oneworld and non-aligned airlines. In 2003, the Airtrain system opened, linking all the terminals and rental car facility. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) introduced service to the International Service soon after.
Rotunda A was in the way of three of the International Terminal’s gates, so Silverado Contractors demolished the pier and rotunda over the course of six working days in late December 2005/ early January 2006. During this time, the South Terminal was renamed as Terminal 1, the Central Terminal became Terminal 2, and the North Terminal became Terminal 3. These names remain today.
Virgin America decided to base operations at San Francisco, and began service in 2007 with a fleet of Airbus A319s and A320s. “Redwood” has grown to become a major airline at SFO, offering today domestic and international service. Just recently Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America.
After a partial demolition and reconstruction, Terminal 2 reopened its doors on April 11, 2011. The Boarding Area D has LEED Gold Certification, meaning it is a “green” building. Terminal 2 features a museum gallery and art gallery, along with water bottle-filling stations. As a result, Terminal 2 is considered one of the best Terminals at SFO. Virgin America and American currently occupy the 14 gates, some of which are common use. American left Boarding Area E, allowing it to be renovated. The renovation of Boarding Area E finished in 2014, and is currently used by United. Construction of the new control tower, situated between Terminal 2 and Boarding Area C, finished this year.
The future of SFO seems favorable, with more renovations to come. The new control tower opened in 2016, followed by the destruction of the 1983 tower and reopening of the observation deck in around 2019. Boarding Area B will be replaced near 2020. Traffic is expected to rise at the already space-constricted SFO, but San Francisco International will do what is does best, and make do.
