International traffic to SFO is back
International air traffic to SFO is back to pre-pandemic levels. But one major country is still lagging.
TL;DR
- International passenger numbers at SFO have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
- Travel from mainland China to SFO is at half of 2019 levels, with declines from Beijing and stagnation from Shanghai.
- U.S.-China flight caps, limiting direct flights to 50 per week each way, contribute to the low numbers from China.
- Travel from other Asian destinations, including the Philippines (Manila), Taiwan (Taipei), and Hong Kong, has significantly increased.
- Travel from Singapore and Japan is also higher than pre-pandemic levels.
- Flights from Seoul, Toronto, and Frankfurt have seen declines compared to last year and pre-pandemic levels.
- San Francisco Travel expects international visitors to increase in 2027 but still fall short of 2019 numbers.