San Jose airport soars towards record passenger levels, Oakland also jumps

SAN JOSE — San Jose International Airport expects to have served a record level of passengers by year’s end, a jump in travel activity that is poised to propel the air travel hub higher in the rankings of the Bay Area’s airports.

For the first time, San Jose anticipates it will serve 14.3 million passengers, more than the prior record in August 2001 of 14.2 million annual passengers — a mark reached before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

San Jose also has staked a claim as the No. 2 airport in the Bay Area, topping Oakland International Airport, which over the 12 months that ended in October had 13.6 million annual passengers.

“It’s incredibly important for our city elected and appointed leaders, airport leadership, and our many partners to offer the nonstop destinations our Silicon Valley community has asked for, with the byproduct of regaining the No. 2 spot in terms of Bay Area passengers served,” said Rosemary Barnes, a San Jose airport spokeswoman.

In addition to an array of United States destinations, San Jose airport also serves cities in Canada, China, Europe, England, Japan, and Mexico.

“We are giving business and leisure travelers more choices with 15 airlines, 55 nonstop destinations and approximately 450 flights departing and arriving daily,” Barnes said.

Despite San Jose’s rise, Oakland airport can boast that it serves more non-stop cities than San Jose.

“Oakland’s air service roster to over 60 nonstop destinations is offered on 14 different airline brands,” according to information posted in the Oakland airport website. “Seven airlines operate with Oakland as their sole gateway into the San Francisco Bay region.”

The 13.6 million passenger totals at Oakland airport for the 12 months that ended in October was 4.9 percent higher than the similar one-year period that ended in October 2017, according to the East Bay travel hub.

“We are very pleased to see customers continuing to choose Oakland for travel needs into and out of the Bay Area,” said Bryant Francis, Oakland’s director of aviation.

Although San Jose and Oakland serve a combined 27.9 million passengers, San Francisco International Airport dwarfs both the South Bay and East Bay air travel hubs.

During 2017, San Francisco served 55.8 million passengers.

San Jose airport during 2017 served 12.5 million passengers, which was 15.6 percent higher than 2016. If San Jose achieves the anticipated 14.3 million passenger mark for, that would be jump of 14.4 percent compared with 2017.

With that sort of potential growth in the wings, San Jose airport officials are planning numerous upgrades to the complex.

Six additional passenger gates are now under construction at San Jose airport. Plus the airport in 2019 will roll out new improvements to passenger service. Among those: facial recognition for departing international flights, new concessions and an all-electric bus fleet.

“Bay Area travelers now have more choices to consider San Jose airport first for their travel planning, minimize their time traveling on congested Bay Area roadways, and enjoy our state-of-the art facility that reflects our community,” Barnes said.

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