Mineta San Jose Airport On A Roll, Lands High-Profile International Flights
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) – Mineta San Jose International Airport has been on a roll lately. While short-hop domestic flights are still the airport's backbone, SJC has completed a hat trick of high profile international flights.
"In nine months we have concluded agreements and secured flights to Beijing, London and now Frankfurt," Mayor Sam Liccardo told KPIX 5.
A new non-stop flight to Frankfurt, Germany will begin next April.
San Jose's growing list of international destinations already includes Guadalajara, Tokyo and Beijing. Along with Frankfurt, nonstop service to London will begin next year.
Liccardo called it a turnaround for an airport that until recently was struggling.
"We went through a lot of years there where we were looking for every way possible just to pay off the bonds at the airport after the considerable expansion we undertook. Now the airport is rolling, the rest of the city is rolling" the mayor said.
Airport officials said they are just keeping up with the demands of Silicon Valley. Although similar flights are available at SFO, the 45 mile distance makes a difference.
"If you can travel from home out of Silicon Valley's airport rather than heading to another airport in the region, it's so much more convenient," said airport spokesperson Rosemary Barnes.
The airport confirmed Thursday that it is currently in talks to bring a nonstop flight to Seoul, South Korea sometime in the next year.