Unbelievable video shows how busy San Francisco Airport really is, and its aircraft traffic patterns will leave you blown away
Published on Dec 14, 2025 at 4:25 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Dec 10, 2025 at 9:44 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Incredible video footage has shown how busy San Francisco Airport gets, with some truly wild aircraft traffic patterns.
International airports are bustling places at the best of times, but when on board aircraft, we sometimes don’t appreciate just how busy they are.
But footage shared on social media has revealed just how many aircraft land at SFO at any one time, showing it off to good effect.
The aircraft traffic patterns on display really do blow us away, and it is a timely reminder of how much air travel we do.
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What the video told us about San Francisco Airport
The footage recently shared on Instagram was taken from an aircraft that was taking off.
From the window, we can see that the aircraft is rising slowly into the sky.
From the window, we see two aircraft coming in to land at the airport.
These two airliners were on a close approach to runways 28L and 29L, the L meaning from the left-hand direction.
Both these runways intersect, and there is something almost ghostly about the bright lights in the distance.
As one of the busiest hubs on the West Coast, this is quite normal at San Francisco Airport – it regularly runs both simultaneous departures and arrivals on its runways.
The traffic flow sequence at SFO is mind-blowing
What we can also glean from the video is just how incredible the traffic flow sequence is.
It’s designed to maximize the capacity of the large airport.
But more than that, it also follows strict safety standards and keeps aircraft nicely separated.
Simultaneous departures and arrivals are a regular occurrence during good weather, even at night.
It is the largest airport in the Bay Area, and the second-busiest airport in California behind Los Angeles International Airport, the famous LAX.
Operating since 1927, SFO remains one of the most important airports in the United States.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
