A runway involved in Saturday’s fatal Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash has reopened, San Francisco International Airport officials said today.
Runway 28L reopened at 5:05 p.m. today, and Southwest Airlines was the first airline to land on it, airport officials said this evening.
See all SF Appeal coverage of the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 here.
Airport staff have been working to clear and repair the runway since Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, released the runway on Wednesday night and the airfield on Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration conducted a final inspection of the runway before clearing it for reopening, including special flyover flights this afternoon, officials said.
“The tremendous efforts and the around-the-clock work of airport staff, government agencies, airline tenants and contractors allowed us to complete all repairs and safety certifications for Runway 28L in a timely and efficient manner,” airport director John Martin said in a statement.
The plane’s fuselage was moved from the crash site early this morning to a section of the airport known as Plot 41 for temporary storage. It will be moved to a permanent location away from the airport within the next two weeks, officials said.
The crash, which occurred Saturday shortly before 11:30 a.m., killed three people, injured dozens of others, and caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled or delayed.
