San Jose Airport: A Compact Transportation Hub

San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) is a medium-sized airport located in San Jose, California. It is about 4 miles from downtown San Jose and is easily accessible from the city centre. The airport covers 1,050 acres of land and has two runways, both measuring 11,000 by 150 feet. SJC is a busy airport, serving nearly 4 million people and offering 170 departures to 44 nonstop destinations. It is the second busiest airport in the Bay Area by passenger count, with 14.3 million passengers served in 2018.

Terminals and gates

Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) has two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B, which are connected airside. Terminal A, which was opened in 1990, has 17 gates: 1–7, 7A, and 8–16. Terminal B, opened in 2010, has 20 gates: 17–36. Both terminals have international arrival gates, although Terminal A handles all international arrivals. In 2017, two new gates were added to Terminal B, and in 2019, a further six gates were added as part of a $58 million project.

Terminal A was designed by a team of architects and engineers led by HTB, Inc. and its adjoining parking garage was built for American Airlines. It underwent renovation and expansion in 2009, with larger ticketing counters, more curbside parking space, larger security checkpoints, and more concessions. Terminal A includes an international arrivals building, which contains Gates 15 and 16. The terminal also has two paid-entry lounges called "The Club at SJC".

Terminal B was designed by Gensler and built by Clark Construction, while the terminal headhouse was designed by Fentress Architects. The terminal features daylit spaces, modern art, shared-use ticket counters and gates, and chairs with power cords and USB ports. The terminal has earned a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Location and transport

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) is a medium-sized, multi-use airport located in the city of San Jose, California, 3.9 miles from downtown San Jose. The airport is owned by the city and serves both the city of San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley region of the greater Bay Area. It is named after San Jose native Norman Mineta, a former United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Secretary of Commerce, who also served as Mayor of San Jose and as a San Jose City Councilman.

The airport is divided into two sides, with air carrier facilities on the east side and general and corporate aviation on the west side of the runways. The airport configuration consists of closely spaced parallel runways, 12L/30R and 12R/30L. The airspace at SJC is Class C and underlies San Francisco's Class B airspace.

SJC is conveniently located near the intersections of U.S. Route 101, Interstate 880, and State Route 87. It is easily accessible by car via these highways. The airport provides parking options, including economy, hourly, and daily lots.

For those without a car, there are various alternative transport options to and from the airport. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus route 60 serves the airport at Terminals A and B, offering a free ride to the Santa Clara Transit Center, where connections can be made to Altamont Corridor Express, Caltrain, Amtrak rail services, and other VTA bus routes. From the airport, VTA light rail can be accessed at Metro/Airport, Milpitas, and Winchester stations, and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) at Milpitas station. Taxi and vehicle-for-hire companies also serve the airport.

SJC is one of three airports serving the San Jose area, along with San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Despite being further from downtown San Jose than its counterparts, SJC is conveniently located within the city limits and offers easy access to the city center.

History

San José Mineta International Airport (IATA: SJC, ICAO: KSJC, FAA LID: SJC) is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California. The airport is named after Norman Mineta, a former United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Secretary of Commerce, and a former Mayor of San Jose.

In the late 1920s, San Jose was slow to acquire land for an airport, and voters rejected a municipal airport proposal in 1928. However, a decade later, in 1939, Ernie Renzel, a future mayor of San Jose and leader of the Citizens Airport Committee (CAC), selected a site for the future airport. This site was part of the Crocker Family's Stockton Ranch and had been approved by the US Bureau of Air Commerce for diversions from San Francisco Airport due to San Jose's low fog levels. A $300,0000 bond was approved by voters to purchase the land.

World War II delayed the start of airport development, and general aviation was banned 150 miles from the Pacific Ocean during the war. In 1944, Renzel was elected to the San Jose City Council, and in 1945, Jim Nissen leased 16 acres of the future airport land to start a small aviation business, "California Aviation Activities," which included a dirt runway and a hangar. Nissen later sold his share and became the airport's first manager, with Renzel as Mayor.

The official dedication ceremony of San Jose Municipal Airport took place on February 1, 1949, with the first commercial airline flight landing—a Southwest Airways DC-3 carrying two pilots, seven passengers, and 2,550 baby chicks. The first terminal opened the following year, and in 1951, San Jose received funding for runway expansion.

In the 1950s, the airport underwent further development, including the construction of a new taxiway and the realignment of the Guadalupe River. A new control tower, runway extension, and terminal building were completed by 1957. The original runway was lengthened, and a second runway was added by 1961.

The new terminal, later designated as Terminal C, opened in 1965, with a dedication ceremony in 1966. The airport continued to expand, and by 1968, it had surpassed one million passengers per year. In 1969, a South Concourse was added to the Terminal, and in 1971, a North Concourse was opened.

In 1974, Norman Mineta, who had been instrumental in obtaining federal funds for the airport, was elected to the US Congress. In 1984, the City of San Jose implemented the Airport Noise Control Program, and in 1987, construction began on Terminal A to add capacity.

In the 1990s, San Jose experienced a dot-com boom, and the airport's traffic exploded. Terminal A was added in 1990 to handle the increasing passenger volume, and by the end of the decade, the airport was serving over 14 million passengers annually.

In 2001, the airport was renamed Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in honour of Mineta. Terminal B opened in 2010, and Terminal C was demolished to make way for more parking. Today, the airport continues to serve as a vital transport hub for the region, offering convenient access to Silicon Valley and the wider Bay Area.

Airlines and destinations

San Jose International Airport (IATA: SJC, ICAO: KSJC, FAA LID: SJC) is located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Downtown San Jose. It is the second-busiest airport in the Bay Area by passenger boarding, with 54% of departing or arriving passengers in 2021 flying on Southwest Airlines.

Terminal A

Terminal A has 17 gates, serving the following airlines and destinations:

• American: Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, and San Diego
• Delta: Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, and Seattle/Tacoma
• Frontier: Austin, Boise, Burbank, Chicago–Midway, Dallas–Love, Denver, Eugene, Honolulu, Houston–Hobby, Kahului, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Nashville, Ontario, Orange County, Palm Springs, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), Reno/Tahoe, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma, and Spokane
• Hawaiian: Boise, Honolulu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Lihue, and Portland (OR)
• Spirit: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Seattle/Tacoma
• United: Phoenix–Sky Harbor
• Volaris: Guadalajara, León/Del Bajío, Morelia, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, Zacatecas, and Mexico City

Terminal B

Terminal B has 20 gates, serving the following airlines and destinations:

• Alaska: Boise, Burbank, Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), San Diego, and Seattle/Tacoma
• Southwest: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Beijing/China, Boise, Boston, Burbank, Cabo San Lucas/Mexico, Charlotte, Chicago (Midway), Chicago (O’Hare), Cincinnati, Colorado Springs, Dallas (Ft. Worth), Dallas (Love Field), Denver, Eugene, Frankfurt/Germany, Guadalajara/Mexico, Honolulu/Oahu, Houston (Hobby), Houston (Intercontinental), Indianapolis, Kahului/Maui, Kona/Hawaii, Las Vegas, Lihue/Kauai, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Minneapolis (St. Paul), New Orleans, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), Ontario (CA), Orange County, Phoenix, Portland, Reno, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, Shanghai/China, Spokane, St. Louis, Tucson, and Vancouver/Canada
• ZIPAIR: Tokyo (Narita)/Japan

Airport facilities

San Jose International Airport, officially named Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California. The airport is located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Downtown San Jose and covers 1,050 acres (420 hectares) of land. It features two terminals (Terminal A and Terminal B) and two runways (12L/30R and 12R/30L), each 11,000 feet (3,353 metres) in length.

Terminal A, which opened in 1990, has 17 gates and serves several major airlines, including American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, Spirit, United, and Volaris. The terminal includes an international arrivals building, with Gates 15 and 16 used for customs and immigration clearance. Terminal A also offers paid-entry lounges called "The Club at SJC", providing passengers with access to snacks and beverages.

Terminal B, which opened in 2010, features 20 gates and serves Southwest, Alaska, and ZIPAIR airlines. This terminal also has two international arrival gates (Gates 17 and 18) for customs clearance. Both terminals provide modern amenities, including charging ports on armrests and dramatic daylit spaces.

In addition to the terminals, San Jose International Airport offers a range of facilities and services to enhance the travel experience. These include an airport information booth, baggage claim areas, an airport lounge ("The Club SJC"), an art program audio tour, all-gender restrooms, automated external defibrillators, bicycle racks and lockers, electric vehicle charging stations, a lost and found office, mobile passport control, ReadySTATION® - Cash to Card Kiosks, ground transportation options, and wheelchair assistance.

The airport also provides convenient parking options, with five parking lots available: Economy Lot 1, Hourly Lots 2 and 3, Daily Lot 4, and a multi-story garage for rental car operations.

Frequently asked questions