San Francisco International Airport

Continent: North America

Country: United States

Region: California

San Francisco International Airport is an international airport located in Northern California. It is located 13 miles south of San Francisco near the cities of San Bruno and Millbrae. It is a hub for United Airlines and is their gateway to Asia. It is the largest airport in Northern California and the second busiest airport in California, after Los Angeles International Airport. It features 4 runways, configured in pairs, perpendicularly.

San Francisco International Airport
Location	San Francisco, California
IATA code	SFO
ICAO code	KSFO
Airport type	Commercial
Website	http://www.flysfo.com
Overview map	Google Maps
Communications
Tower	120.5 269.1
Ground	121.8
Clearance	118.2
Approach	134.5 135.65 133.95
Departure	120.9 (NW-E) 135.1 (SE-W)
ATIS
Departure	122.95
Plane Spotting Hotels guide

Official Spotting Locations

International Terminal G Observation Terrace

In February 2019, an outdoor observation terrace opened at the end of Concourse G of the International Terminal. It is airside and easily accessible to passengers flying out of that concourse as well as Terminal 3. Passengers with a same day boarding pass for a flight from another terminal should be able to access the terrace as well, though it will require clearing security a second time to reach the gate for the departing flight. Open daily from 7:00am to 11:30pm.

The terrace located at the end of the concourse, atop the boarding lounges for gates G99 and G101. It also provides a good view of aircraft as they enter and exit the ramp for Concourse G and odd-numbered gates 81-89 in Terminal 3. The entrance is next to Joe & The Juice. Be aware that you will be shooting through glass if you're taking photos.

Terminal 2 SkyTerrace

This observation deck atop Terminal 2 is landside and open to the public with no boarding pass required. The terrace offers close views of the 10/28 runways, which in normal weather are used for most arrivals as well as heavy departures. the 1/19 runways are also visible. The entrance is behind the Starbucks in Terminal 2. Access is up two floors via staircase or a dedicated elevator. A security screening is required to access the terrace, but TSA restrictions on liquids don't apply.

For Winter 2021/2022, the SkyTerrace is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am until 6pm.

For more information, see https://www.flysfo.com/skyterrace

Aviation Library

The San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum is within International Terminal A. It is open daily from 10am to 4:30pm except Saturday. Their collection is surprisingly extensive, though not all of it is on display. It's worth stopping in if you're there when it's open. Also, temporary rolling exhibitions exist security within the International Terminal as well as air-side Terminal 2 and 3. Public art from the San Francisco Arts Commission is on display throughout the terminals.

Other Spotting Locations

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park is located at the end of Millbrae Ave. along Bayshore Hwy. It affords good views of all four runways, but it is somewhat distant (about one mile) from 10R/28L and 10L/28R, so you'll need a long lens for photos (about 700mm to get close to regional jets, 450mm should be good for the heavies). 1R/19L and 1R/19R are closer, however, a chain link fence was recently built next to the runways that limits photography.

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large (1R departure, before the fence was built)
• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large (28L arrival)
• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large (Another 28 arrival)

To reach the park, take the Millbrae Ave. exit off US-101, and head north-east, towards the bay. At the end of Millbrae Ave., make a right turn. You will see the park on your left; the first left turn you can make takes you into the park's small, free parking lot. The large, divided section of the lot is a pay lot for the Marriott Hotel. There is alternate free parking across the street at the Westin, though it is only a few spaces (turn into the Westin parking lot, and take an immediate left before the lobby circle). If all else fails, you can park nearly anywhere on the side-streets.

Once you have parked your car, you may want to walk towards the airport to the north end of the park for good views of 1L/19R and 1R/19L. If your objective is to watch 10R/28L and 10L/28R, you can go pretty much wherever you like in the park. If you want the San Francisco skyline in your photos, try walking south on the Bay Trail beyond the Marriott; at least 400mm (1.6x crop factor) will be required to get good skyline photos.

• San Francisco skyline photo with RWY 19 arrival
• San Francisco skyline photo with RWY 28 arrival

If you are traveling by BART or Caltrain, get off at Millbrae Station and walk east approximately one mile on Millbrae Ave (about 15 minutes walk). Use the south side of the street, as the north side has no sidewalk across the US-101 over-crossing; be cautious of traffic, this is not a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.

New Long Term Parking

The new long term parking lot (operated by SFO) is near the north end of 10/28. It offers good side views of heavy departures off the 28's. As you will be facing southwest, the lighting is best in the morning. This location is a long distance from the rotation point, but heavy aircraft will be very close when they're putting their gear up. With good binoculars or telephoto, it also offers a good overview of the north side of the airfield, including the United maintenance hangars and the cargo ramp.

• Air France A340 departing 28, from Long Term Parking
• NWA 757 departing 28, from Long Term Parking

Although the roof is covered in security cameras, the turret-style stairway is notably lacking. Being chased away by security in this blind spot is rare. If you feel guilty, park in the lot and pay the fee -- it is only a few dollars for an afternoon.

If you are traveling by air or BART, go to the arrivals level at SFO and board a free SFO long term parking bus. They run at a five minute frequency and they will drop you off right where you need to be. Use the same bus to return.

Cell Phone Lot

The cell phone Lot is located near the new Long Term Parking garage and directly under the path for 28R. It is slightly closer to the runways, and it is free to park in. The only downside is that you must stay with your vehicle and you may only park there for an hour. Here are the official rules for the cell phone lot. You will not be able to see airport operations from here, due to the fact that it is not raised like the long term parking garage. You will, though, be able to get good shots of aircraft just after rotation, as they are putting their gear up. If the Shoreline Seven departure is in use, aircraft will make a sharp right turn over the lot and it will make for good photos. 200mm with a 1.6x crop factor will be sufficient for this spot.

• A Delta 737 making a sharp turn off of 28R, from Cell Phone Lot
• A Virgin Atlantic 747 making a straight out departure, from Cell Phone Lot

San Bruno Ave Overpass

Between McDonnell Road and San Bruno Ave, immediately east of US-101, there is a small grassy area that is well-positioned at the end of 10L/28R. This is the longest runway at SFO, so in good weather, it is the first choice for departing large aircraft. When 28R is in use, aircraft will pass very low above this spot; when 10L is in use (generally only in marginal weather), this spot has a good view of aircraft as they wait for the runway. Runway 28L/10R is also visible, but is significantly obstructed by the rental car facility and the end of AirTrain.

Unfortunately this location is almost nearly spoiled for the good photography because of numerous fences and light poles. You can still get some good shots, with effort. Note that because there is a lot of traffic in this area, you will be seeing through a lot of jetwash. Anything more than about 500mm will be useless because of air quality.

• JAL 747 departing 28L shortly after rotation, from San Bruno Ave
• Light trails of departures from the RWY 28's
• Closeup of JAL 747 departing 28L from San Bruno Ave
• Various aircraft waiting for 10, from San Bruno Ave

If you are traveling by car, take US-101 to the San Bruno Ave exit, go west of the freeway, and park on the street in the residential neighborhood, then walk over the freeway.

If you are arriving by air or BART, take the free SFO long term parking bus from the arrivals (upper) level at SFO, get off at long term parking (see above), and walk south on Airport Blvd to San Bruno Ave, then west to the freeway overpass (overall about 15 minutes). Alternatively, take AirTrain (Blue line) to the rental car center and walk north to the overpass (see map); this path is seemingly easier but takes just as long as long term parking due to various fences you have to walk around. On the upside, you get to see the Internation G and cargo ramps from AirTrain.

Within the airport

Various locations within the airport, but outside security, offer reasonable views:

Parking Garage G -- 28 departures, and some ramp / taxiway A views. Take AirTrain to Garage G/BART and take the elevator up to parking level 9. You will not have warning of RWY 28 departures, but you will be able to see them just after rotation -- bring a radio!

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large

Parking Garage A -- Good shots of the west ramp of International Terminal A

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large

AirTrain station at the rental car facility (blue line) -- Very good views of runway 10 arrivals on bad weather days; however the windows are often very dirty.

AirTrain approaching terminal 1 -- View of aircraft at the International A gates (Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Emirates, etc).

AirTrain Blue Line, between International G and West Field Road -- Views toward International G / United gates, and some parts of the cargo ramp (DHL, FedEx).

Terminal 2 Air Train stop -- Good rotation shots of the 28s, although there will be no warning-bring a scanner. At each end of the stop there is an opening so you do not have to shoot through glass. The opening on the north side of the station gives good shots of rotation and the SFO water towers. The south side will give shots of the thresholds of the 28s (with a long lens), the beginning of the 1s, and Terminal 2 ramp shots.

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large
• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large

Fisherman's Park

Fisherman's Park is a small area on the coast of the bay under the 28 approach path. The so-called "park" is really a gravel parking lot with small area by the water, used regularly by fishermen. This location is very similar to the popular Coyote Point Recreation Area location; the only differences being it is slightly closer to the threshold, but slightly farther south of the approach path. It is located on Airport Blvd. in Burlingame. A 400mm lens (full frame) will be more than sufficient for heavies, but a longer lens is needed for regionals. It is not the best area at mid-day times, due to the fact that you are shooting above you, but mornings and afternoons will yield great photos.

Locations to Avoid

Obviously, do not loiter on streets within the airport grounds -- you will be stopped and questioned. Occasionally police may interfere at San Bruno Ave and Garage G, but it has never been severe. Also some reports of being harassed in the Signature FBO area, even if you have real business there. Be discreet.

Spotting Locations Map

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Regular Traffic

Normal traffic flow has most departures using runways 1L/1R and arrivals using 28L/28R. European and trans-Pacific depart 28L/28R.

During times of winds out of the south or southeast, arrivals use 19R while departures use 10L/10R. When the crosswind component for 10L/R exceeds 20kts, departures use 19L/R. This is most often during rainy winter weather, but also occurs on the day just after rainy weather.

Occasionally during strong northerly winds, aircraft will fly the approach to 28L/R and circle to 1R. This happens approximately twice a year, so don't hold out hope.

Airlines

Harvey Milk Terminal 1

Airline	Aircraft	Destinations
Alaska Airlines	Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900, Boeing 737 MAX 9, Embraer E175	Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport, John Wayne Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Chicago O'hare International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Portland International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport (begins December 19, 2024), Boston Logan International Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Palm Springs International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Boise International Airport, Kahului Airport, Redmond Municipal Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (begins November 21, 2024), Orlando International Airport, Los Cabos International Airport, Spokane International Airport, Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Cancun International Airport, Tampa International Airport (begins November 21, 2024), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (begins February 15, 2025), Paine Field, Jackson Hole Airport (begins May 17, 2025), Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (begins May 15, 2025), Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (begins December 21, 2024), Loreto International Airport (begins January 11, 2025), Mazatlán International Airport, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo International Airport
American Airlines	Airbus A321/A321neo, Boeing 737-800/MAX 8	Los Angeles International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Chicago O'hare International Airport, Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport, Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport, Miami International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport
Delta Air Lines	Airbus A220-100/300, Airbus A321/A321neo, Boeing 737-800/900, Boeing 757-200/300, Boeing 767-300	Los Angeles International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
jetBlue	Airbus A321/A321neo	New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Southwest Airlines	Boeing 737-700/800/MAX 8	Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport, Denver International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport

Terminal 2

Airline	Aircraft	Destinations
Air Canada	Airbus A320, Boeing 737 MAX 8, Bombardier CRJ-900	Vancouver International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Edmonton International Airport
Breeze Airways	Airbus A220-300	Provo Airport, San Bernardino International Airport, Richmond International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Louisville International Airport

Terminal 3

Airline	Aircraft	Destinations
United Airlines	Airbus A319/A320/A321neo, Boeing 737-700/800/900/MAX 8/MAX 9, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 777-200/300, Boeing 787-8/9/10, Bombardier CRJ-200/700/900, Embraer E175	Los Angeles International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Harry Reid International Airport, Denver International Airport, John Wayne Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Chicago O'hare International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Portland International Airport, Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Palm Springs International Airport, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Ontario International Airport, Boise International Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Miami International Airport, Reno–Tahoe International Airport, Incheon International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Kahului Airport, California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, Mexico City International Airport, Tokyo Narita International Airport, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Singapore Changi International Airport, Sacramento International Airport, Redmond Municipal Airport, Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Los Cabos International Airport, Eugene Airport, Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Redding Regional Airport, Tucson International Airport, Spokane International Airport, Rogue Valley International Airport, Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Frankfurt International Airport, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Cancun International Airport, Meadows Field Airport, Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Munich International Airport, Omaha Airport, Tri-Cities Airport, Albuquerque International Airport, San Antonio International Airport, Albuquerque International Airport, Auckland International Airport, Monterrey International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Cleveland International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, Calgary International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, Lihue Airport, Albuquerque International Airport, Aspen Pitkin County Airport, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Glacier Park International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Kona International Airport, [[ Fa'a'ā International Airport]], Melbourne International Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Zurich International Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Christchurch International Airport, Jackson Hole Airport, Montrose Regional Airport, Friedman Memorial Airport, Bishop International Airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat International Airport, Eagle County Regional Airport, Yampa Valley Regional Airport, Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino International Airport, Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, Juan Santamaría International Airport

Facilities and Transportation

Public Transportation

The BART rapid transit rail system maintains a station at the terminals, and provides service to San Francisco and cities in the East Bay. It also provides connections to Caltrain commuter rail service to San Jose and Gilroy via the Millbrae Station.

Three samTrans bus routes serve the airport terminals. Route 292 serves a route from San Mateo to downtown San Francisco. Route 397 and Express Route KX serve a route from Palo Alto to downtown San Francisco.

The Airport Express provides transportation to Sonoma County, including Petaluma, Rohnert Park, and Santa Rosa.

The Marin Airporter provides transportation to multiple locations in Marin County including San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Sausalito.

External Links

• SFO on FlightAware
• SFO on FlightRadar24