Officials at Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) expect strong passenger traffic over the approaching Labor Day holiday travel period, which traditionally marks the unofficial end of the summer travel season. As the airport recovers from pandemic-related declines, the Labor Day holiday period is projected to see nearly three times the number of travelers than just a year ago.
This year's two-week Labor Day travel period spans Sunday, Aug. 29, through Friday, Sept. 10. SJC expects to welcome more than 150,000 departing passengers during that time, compared with 56,497 outbound travelers counted during the same period in 2020.
Peak travel is expected on the Friday before Labor Day at over 14,000 outbound passengers, along with the Thursday after Labor Day at just over 15,000 outbound. SJC's busiest travel day is expected to be the Friday after Labor Day, Sept. 10, with 15,500 passengers anticipated to depart.
“We are pleased to see strong numbers as we approach the Labor Day holiday,” said SJC Director of Aviation John Aitken. “Our team continues to work hard to keep the Airport safe, and our airline partners are doing a great job adding capacity in line with demand. We appreciate our customers’ continued diligence with safety measures as our numbers increase.”
The additions of returning service to key markets such as Chicago, Atlanta and Minneapolis have helped boost travel at SJC. As summer concludes, the airport also anticipates seasonal flight additions, adding Southwest’s returning service to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) on Sept. 7.
The airport recommends checking in online in advance and printing boarding passes at home if possible. Travelers are also encouraged to check parking availability and rates be-fore heading to SJC, arrive to the terminals early to ensure on-time boarding, and allow time for increased passenger volumes at airline check-in and security screening locations.
Information and details related to SJC’s COVID updates and resources, including COVID testing options at the airport, are available at www.flysanjose.com/coronavirus.
