Flight Operations to Super Bowl LX

Super Bowl LX will take place on Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The NFL playoffs are underway, with teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and others still in contention as they vie for spots in the AFC and NFC Championship Games.

Every year, the Super Bowl turns the sky above its host city into one of the most tightly controlled pieces of airspace in the United States.

Parking is tight and slots are limited; from February 4-10, operators should expect restrictions at KSJC/San Jose, KOAK/Oakland, and KSFO/San Francisco.

For flight departments, the Super Bowl isn’t just a destination, it’s an operational event that demands early planning, constant monitoring, and zero tolerance for assumptions.

Here's what you need to know to plan trips to Super Bowl LX.

Special Event Temporary Flight TFR

• Pilots should anticipate a special event Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the San Francisco Bay Area on game day, February 8 – this will be published via NOTAM five to seven days prior to the event
• The Super Bowl TFR will be centered near the stadium and prohibit general aviation operations within a 10 nautical mile radius from approximately one to two hours before kick-off through at least one hour after the game is scheduled to end
• Less stringent restrictions will be in place in between 10 nautical miles and 30 nautical miles of the stadium
• Out of the various airports contained within the 10 nautical mile ring, TSA screening and gateway procedures are expected to be available only for departures from Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
• These screenings must be set up at least 24 hours in advance and contact information for arranging them will be contained in the TFR NOTAM when it is published
• VFR arrivals may expect lengthy delays and potential holding during peak traffic periods. VFR advisory service within the airspace of Northern California TRACON (NCT) and Oakland Center (ZOA) will be on a workload-permitting basis
• File flight plans at least 6 hours, but not more than 24 hours, prior to the proposed time of departure. This is required to ensure Traffic Management Initiatives (TMI) reflect authentic demand
• A reservation program to facilitate ATC handling and ground services will be in effect at participating California airports. Reservations are administered by local Fixed Base Operators (FBOs)

For more details, visit the FAA's official Superbowl page .

Due to the high volume of flights, a slot reservation program has been instituted for arrivals and departures (including drop-and-goes) to and from selected airports in the region from February 4-9.

There are exceptions for regularly scheduled air carriers and air taxi operations (including flights operating under Title 14, Chapter II, Subchapter D, Part 380), but a vast majority of general aviation flights will be required to obtain slot reservations.

Each FBO among the slot-controlled airports has been given an allocation of times from their respective airport directors per the FAA’s established hourly arrival and departure rates.

Due to parking constraints, drop-and-go reservations may be the only choice once long-term/overnight parking reaches capacity.

The slot system requires these types of flights to obtain reservations for both the inbound and outbound segments. VFR flights are not exempt and are required to obtain reservations.

These airports are included in the slot program:

• SFO – San Francisco International Airport
• OAK – Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport
• SJC – Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport
• MRY – Monterey Regional Airport
• SNS – Salinas Municipal Airport
• HWD – Hayward Executive Airport
• SQL – San Carlos Airport
• PAO – Palo Alto Airport
• NUQ – Moffett Federal Airfield
• RHV – Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County
• SCK – Stockton Metro Airport
• WVI – Watsonville Municipal Airport
• APC – Napa County Airport
• CCR – Buchanan Field Airport
• LVK – Livermore Municipal Airport
• CVH – Hollister Municipal Airport

Other airports in the surrounding area will likely experience an increase in traffic as well; operators are highly encouraged to secure parking as soon as possible.

For more details, visit the NBAA's official Superbowl page .

VFR Pilot Clarification

• The Super Bowl LX Special Event Reservation (PPR) Program will apply to VFR air traffic; however, an airport may have more stringent requirements for itinerants due to constrained ramp space and resources
• Many other airports, especially those within a 60 NM radius of KSJC, are projecting a substantial increase in operations, and parking at surrounding airports may be unavailable
• These airports may have more stringent requirements for itinerants, due to constrained ramp space and resources
• Operators should contact the FBO or Airport Authority for additional information

Airports with Extended Hours

To help accommodate the departure push at the end of the game, the following airports will be operating extended hours as follows:

• SJC – 0000-0200 PST / 0600-2359 PST on February 9
• LVK – 0700-2359 PST on February 8 and 0600-2100 PST on February 9
• HWD – 0700-2300 PST on February 8 and 0600-2100 PST on February 9

FAA Initiatives

Airspace volume will likely challenge ATC’s ability to deliver flights to the regional airports, and crews should anticipate the possibility of a variety of air traffic management initiatives.

Additionally, any poor weather conditions will amplify the issue and exponentially increase the likelihood that any of the following air traffic management strategies will be employed to keep demand levels reasonable:

• Ground Delay Programs (GDPs)
• Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs)
• Ground Stops
• Time Based Metering
• Miles-in-Trail / Minutes-in-Trail Restrictions
• Airborne Holding

Required Route Structures for Arrivals and Departures

• IFR aircraft arriving and departing the San Francisco Bay Area should file and expect to be routed in accordance with the FAA’s Required Reroutes section within the Domestic Notice
• Arrival routes for turbojet aircraft will be implemented from February 4-10
• Departure routes will be utilized from February 8-10

For daily updates on what to file, check the FAA’s pages on Domestic Notices and Current Reroutes .

For support with your flight operations to Super Bowl LX, contact UAS Americas