28 Mar 2024

(North Bend, OR) – If you’ve traveled Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) to or from the San Francisco Airport (SFO) lately, you may have experienced delays. In December, SFO officials announced a taxiway improvement project that would make aircraft exits to runways easier and safer. However, the closure of a runway and taxiways serving it means passengers could see delays of up to 60 minutes.

SkyWest’s General Manager of Airport Operations in North Bend, Angie Shaubach, says delays could create connection issues in San Francisco. She adds, that relying solely on digital notifications could cause a rush to have to reach our airport to board the plane, or passengers could miss the window altogether.

To avoid missing their flight, Shaubach advises passengers to stick to the practice of arriving at least 90 minutes before their flight’s original departure schedule even if they have to wait. Here are a few other tips to make your travel stress-free:

• Be ready to check your luggage at least 45 minutes before the plane’s departure.
• Give yourself plenty of time to make a connecting flight at the San Francisco Airport. That might mean scheduling an hour and a half between connections once you arrive at San Francisco.
• Be even more vigilant about arriving early especially when more passengers are traveling.

Airlines are provided windows of time for landing and taking off at major airport hubs. That helps manage the airport traffic. That means a notification of a several-hour delay could be moved up at a moment’s notice. Being flexible and giving yourself plenty of time on your day of travel is the best practice until the construction is completed. San Francisco Airport Public Information Officer, Doug Yakel says the project is on schedule, but delays could last up until July 1, 2024.