San Jose airport lands federal funding to bolster new terminal project

SAN JOSE — San Jose International Airport has landed a key round of funding to bolster construction projects for a new terminal and runway — despite the aviation hub’s struggles to banish its post-coronavirus maladies.

Two federal grants totaling approximately $18.1 million have been awarded to the airport, Bay Area House of Representatives members Ro Khanna, Zoe Lofgren, Anna Eshoo and Jimmy Panetta jointly announced Friday.

“San Jose Mineta International Airport not only serves 4 million people in the South Bay but also connects our thriving local economy with the rest of the state and the country,” the four Democratic House representatives stated in a joint comment.

The Federal Aviation Commission, an organization within the U.S. Transportation Department, provided the funding.

“These upgrades to our runways will maintain our airport’s status as the most reliable, convenient airport in the country,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

It wasn’t immediately clear when construction might begin for the new terminal and the new runway.

San Jose Airport is still struggling to reclaim the heights it lost in passenger trips that the aviation complex had achieved in 2019 before the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and the resulting business shutdowns that grounded the worldwide and Bay Area travel and lodging industries.

“We are delighted that the U.S. Department of Transportation has recognized the importance of San Jose Airport as an economic driver for Silicon Valley and one of the best midsize airports in the U.S.,” said Mukesh Patel, San Jose’s director of aviation.