San Jose International Airport

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San Jose International Airport
IATA: SJC - ICAO: KSJC
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator The City of San José Airport Commission
Serves San Jose, California
Elevation AMSL 62 ft (19 m)
Coordinates 37°21′45″N, 121°55′44″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12L/30R 11,000 3,353 Concrete
12R/30L 11,000 3,353 Concrete
11/29 4,599 1,402 Asphalt

Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (IATA: SJC, ICAO: KSJC) is a medium-sized airport in San Jose, California. It is located at the north end of the city, near the intersections of three major freeways, Highway 101, Interstate 880, and Highway 87.

Despite San Jose's position as the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area, SJC is the smallest of the three Bay Area airports offering scheduled service, with less than one third the passengers of the region's major international airport San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and slightly fewer passengers than Oakland International Airport (OAK). Like Oakland airport, it attracts suburban residents who find SFO to be inconveniently distant from their homes. It also serves as a "reliever" airport, providing access to the Bay Area market for discount carriers, such as Southwest, that are unwilling to deal with the delays due to weather, especially fog, that plague SFO.

SJC has public Wi-Fi available by two service providers, Wayport and T-Mobile. However, T-Mobile is only available in Terminal A, and more specifically, Gates 9 through 16B. Wayport is the only Wi-Fi service available in Terminal C.

Contents

[edit] History

In the early 1980s San Jose International Airport was one of the first U.S airports to participate in the noise regulation program enacted by the U.S. Congress for delineation of airport noise contours and developing a pilot study of residential sound insulation. This program succeeded in its objective of demonstrating that residences in the airport vicinity could be retrofitted in a cost-effective manner to reduce interior sound levels from aircraft noise substantially[1]

American Airlines opened a hub at San Jose in 1988, using slots it obtained in the buyout of Air California in 1986. Reno Air, a startup based in Reno, Nevada, took over many of American's gates until it was bought out by American in 1998. American never re-established its hub; however, it is still the airport's second busiest scheduled airline after Southwest Airlines.

In November 2001, the then "San José International Airport" was renamed after Norman Yoshio Mineta, who is a native of San Jose, former mayor, former congressman representing San Jose, and former United States Secretary of Transportation.

As its name implies, Mineta San José International has several flights per day to other countries. Mexicana has one daily flight and a twice weekly flight to Guadalajara, Mexico as well as a flight to Morelia, Mexico four times a week.

After the dot-com bubble burst, the city lost several flights as a result to decrease in demand. Air Canada discontinued its flights to Toronto and Ottawa, Canada and American Airlines stopped its nonstop flights to Taipei, Taiwan and Paris, France. American also dropped its focus city service to Miami, St. Louis, Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Phoenix; the airline's flights to Southern California were downgraded to American Eagle regional flights.

Dramatic reduction at SJC continued throughout 2004. Alaska Airlines halted its San Jose - Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas seasonal routes and American Airlines discontinued its San Jose - San Luis Obispo and San Jose - Boston Logan links. In October, 2006, American Airlines discontinued the San Jose-Tokyo-Narita route, which was San Jose's last remaining link with an international overseas destination.

In April 2004, the city government, in its plan to revive the local economy, called for a restored international flight to Taipei and new international routes from San Jose to United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam via Taiwan, and India.

[edit] Expansion Plan

Gate and waiting area in Terminal A
Enlarge
Gate and waiting area in Terminal A

In August 2004, the city broke ground on North Concourse, the first phase in a three phase, nine year expansion plan. The master plan, designed by Gensler and The Steinberg Group, called for a single consolidated terminal that contains 40 gates, 8 more than present, an international concourse, and expanded security areas. The sail-shaped facade would greet up to 17.6 million passengers a year. A people mover system would link the new terminal with VTA light rail and the planned BART station adjacent to the current Santa Clara Caltrain station. Cargo facilites would be moved to the east side of the airport. A long term parking garage would be constructed at the current location of the rental car operations. A new short term parking structure would also be constructed at the site of current Terminal C short term parking lot.

On November 16, 2005, a scaled-back airport improvement plan was approved and announced. The new two-phase plan called for a North Concourse, which is expected to be completed in 2007, and a simplified Terminal B, rather than the initially proposed James Nissen Central Terminal, to replace the aging Terminal C. In addition, Terminal A will be expanded for additional check-in counters, security checkpoints, and drop-off/pick-up curbside space.

[edit] Terminals

Walkway that connects parking garage (left) to Terminal A proper (right).
Enlarge
Walkway that connects parking garage (left) to Terminal A proper (right).

There are two terminals at the airport. Terminal C is the original terminal built in 1965 and Terminal A is built in early 1990s. Both terminals are relatively small in comparison to the number of people that flows through them, which can result in crowds and long lines during peak traveling times. Under the current airport expansion plan, Terminal A will be expanded, and Terminal C will be torn down and replaced by a new Terminal B.

[edit] Terminal A

  • American Airlines (Austin, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orange County)
  • Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu)
  • Mexicana (Guadalajara, León, Mexico City, Morelia)
  • Southwest Airlines (Burbank, Chicago-Midway, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Ontario (CA), Orange County, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Reno/Tahoe, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma)

[edit] Terminal B / North Concourse

Under Construction; Scheduled to be completed by 2008

[edit] Terminal C

Instead of using jetways (elevated tunnels that connect planes to the terminal), Terminal C mostly uses air stairs. Terminal C will be replaced by a new Terminal B.

[edit] Cargo

[edit] General Aviation

Private and corporate aircraft are based on the opposite side of the runway from Terminals A and C, on Coleman Avenue.

  • ACM Aviation
  • San Jose Jet Center
  • AvBase Inc

[edit] Public Transit Connections

Caltrain passengers can reach the airport by connecting to VTA Route 10 Airport Flyer at the Santa Clara Station. Riders of VTA's light rail service can also use VTA Route 10 by transferring at the Metro/Airport Light Rail Station.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ C. Michael Hogan and Ballard George, Design of Acoustical Insulation for Existing Residences in the Vicinity of San Jose Municipal Airport, Issues in Transportation Related Environmental Quality, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Transprtation Research Record 1033, Washington D.C. (1985)

[edit] External links

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