FBOs at San Francisco International KSFO SFO

Airport security

The ASTORISK MODERATE rating of 2 reflects ongoing federal policy uncertainties affecting SFO operations, including DHS considerations to withdraw CBP officers from sanctuary city airports which could significantly impact international flight processing capabilities.

SFO's private security contractor arrangement through Covenant Aviation Security provides operational stability despite federal staffing challenges affecting other major airports.

Terminal access controls include the new SFO Gate Explorer program allowing vetted non-passengers through security with TSA screening and identification requirements matching ticketed passengers.

Security screening operates through private contractor Covenant Aviation Security with current wait times of 10-25 minutes across all terminals, insulated from federal TSA staffing disruptions.

Comprehensive camera monitoring systems capture all checkpoint interactions with 24-hour Operations Center oversight by both TSA and SFO personnel.

Customs, immigration and regulatory

• Hours: GA/cargo CBP office: daily 0800–2300 PT
• inspection services (wheels-down arrivals): daily 0800–2200 PT
• commercial international passenger processing: continuous per airline schedule CBP GA fact sheet (pub. May 2026) in effect
• aircraft exceeding 50,000 lb payload or FAA-certificated commercial operators cannot be processed at GA FBO and must use commercial passenger terminal with commercial landing rights
• advance EAPIS filing required

Ground corridor

San Francisco's primary ground transport risk category is opportunistic property crime — particularly vehicle break-ins and petty theft — rather than violent crime or civil unrest; the airport's immediate access roads (US-101 and I-380) are well-lit and free of designated high-risk corridors, though the Tenderloin and parts of SoMa in the city center warrant nighttime avoidance.

Pre-arranged vehicles with professional drivers are reliable and operationally preferred for executive and principal movements given the city's traffic variability and parking crime profile.

No armed-conflict zone restrictions or OFAC-related movement limitations apply to the San Francisco metro area.

City threat summary

The ASTORISK MODERATE rating of 2 reflects ongoing federal policy uncertainties affecting SFO operations, including DHS considerations to withdraw CBP officers from sanctuary city airports which could significantly impact international flight processing capabilities.

SFO's private security contractor arrangement through Covenant Aviation Security provides operational stability despite federal staffing challenges affecting other major airports.

Country overview

The United States maintains a stable but complex security environment in mid-2026, with allied governments including the UK FCDO and Global Affairs Canada rating it at their lowest advisory tiers while domestic conditions reflect substantially elevated political polarization, protest activity, and lone-actor violence risks.

The country is simultaneously hosting major international events — including the FIFA World Cup and the America250 Semiquincentennial — that concentrate security demands across multiple cities and regions.

Geographically diverse threat actors, transnational criminal organizations, and an active civil unrest landscape collectively sustain a moderate baseline threat posture for travelers and operators.