San Jose Airport Zooms to Record Passenger Levels Amid Hot Economy

SAN JOSE — San Jose International Airport rocketed to a record-high level of passengers during 2019 amid a robust economy and steady expansions by the busy tech sector, airport officials reported Thursday.

“The good news is the airport is bursting at the seams. The bad news is the airport is bursting at the seams,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said Thursday evening in an interview with this news organization. The mayor said decisions loom during 2020 about an expansion of the airport.

Passenger traffic at San Jose airport zoomed 9.3 percent higher in 2019 compared with 2018, reaching a record amount of nearly 15.7 million passengers, the airport announced.

“This marks the second consecutive year of record-breaking passenger totals for Silicon Valley’s airport,” said John Aitken, San Jose’s director of aviation.

During 2018, San Jose airport accommodated 14.3 million arriving and departing passengers, which itself was 14.7 percent higher than the 12.5 million people who used the airport in 2017, according to a financial report by the airport.

“It is up and to the right, not only for how our economy is going but also for how passenger numbers are going for San Jose International Airport,” said Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

The number of passengers served in 2017 was 15.6 percent above the 10.8 million using San Jose International Airport during 2016, airport statistics show.

“This growth is due to our airlines being responsive to our travelers’ needs by providing more flight options around the globe, the airport’s close proximity to Fortune 500 companies, and San Jose airport’s convenience, efficiency, and on-time reliability,” Aitken said.

Much of the upswing at the air travel hub appears to have resulted primarily from expansions by two air carriers: Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

Perhaps the most eye-catching move for an airline serving San Jose was the launch during 2019 of Southwest Airlines service between the mainland United States and Hawaii. Last year, Southwest connected San Jose to Honolulu on the main Hawaiian island of Oahu and to Kahului on the island of Maui. More flights connecting San Jose with other destinations in Hawaii are planned by Southwest.

Southwest Airlines also initiated service during 2019 that connected San Jose to Long Beach in Southern California; El Paso, Texas; and Nashville, Tennesee.

Alaska Airlines began flights that linked San Jose and Everett, a Washington state city near Seattle.

Plus, in recent days, Southwest Airlines began providing flights between San Jose and the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii.

Alaska Airlines is slated to begin service to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico in March; American Airlines is due to initiate flights to Austin, Texas in April; Air Canada plans service to Toronto, Canada in May; Jet Blue plans more service to Boston in June; and Delta intends to begin flights to Detroit in July.

“With the strength of our local economy and commitments from our airline partners to provide more flight choices for Silicon Valley travelers, we are excited for the opportunities in 2020 and beyond,” Aitken said.

New food and beverage concessions are on tap at the airport during 2020, officials said.

In Terminal A, Shake Shack will open, Starbucks will expand, and Gordon Biersch will expand. In Terminal B, Trader Vic’s will open a full-service restaurant and Trader Vic’s Outpost will open a to-go restaurant, SJ Mac+Cheese will open a new concession, and Dish Dash will open.

“The additional international and domestic flights that San Jose has secured, along with the existing routes, are good for customer choice, good for our city, and good for our economy,” Guardino said.

City officials have begun to ponder whether to dramatically expand the airport, potentially with the construction of a third terminal.

“Over the next several months we’ll be making a big go or no go decision on an important expansion to accommodate rapid growth and continued airport success,” Mayor Liccardo said.

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