When Do flight paths change?/How Do flight paths change?/What is the South East Plan?
Winds in the Bay Area predominantly blow from the west to the east. With winds from the west, the North Flow air traffic pattern (referred to as the “West Plan”) is in effect. When wind direction in the Bay Area reverses and is from the southeast, the South Flow air traffic pattern (referred to as the “Southeast Plan”) is in effect. The FAA alters the traffic pattern to the Southeast Plan when weather conditions such as winter storms shift the wind direction. Historical data collected for the years 1999-2001 by the Airport Noise Management Office demonstrate that 91.5 percent of all arrivals and departures occur when the Airport is operating in the West Plan, which generally involves arrivals from the south and departures to the north.
