San Francisco denies Palo Alto appeal of airport enhancement plan

Palo Alto Online
Riley Cooke
04 Feb 2026

Environmental review stands despite local opposition

San Francisco will proceed with its airline development plan for SFO after rejecting an appeal on Tuesday from the city of Palo Alto, which argued that issues like noise and air quality were not appropriately accounted for during the environmental review process.

San Francisco and SFO officials have maintained that the RADP will not induce traffic or change flight paths, the latter of which is under federal jurisdiction.

But Palo Alto argued, albeit unsuccessfully, that the plan’s environmental review “inadequately addresses environmental impacts such as noise and air quality due to its reliance on future growth assumptions rather than current conditions,” according to a staff update on the city’s website.

San Francisco denies Palo Alto appeal of airport enhancement plan - Palo Alto Online - 04 Feb 2026