Silicon Valley’s Airport Passenger Traffic Up 10.2 Percent in Calendar Year 2016
Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) passenger traffic increased 10.2 percent in 2016, marking four years of solid passenger growth. SJC ended the calendar year with serving 10.8 million departing and arriving passengers, an increase of nearly 1 million more customers choosing SJC for their travel plans over the previous year.
2016 Flight Review
The significant passenger increase year-over-year is because Silicon Valley business and leisure travelers had more choices with new and expanded nonstop service in 2016. Four new international airlines and cities were launched: Frankfurt on Lufthansa, London Heathrow on British Airways, Shanghai on Air China, and Vancouver on Air Canada. Two daytime transcontinental routes were also added: Baltimore/Washington on Southwest, and Charlotte (seasonal) on American Airlines.
SJC airlines also added more flights or larger-size aircraft to Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Salt Lake City, and San Diego.
“2016 was a game-changing year for Silicon Valley’s airport, with the addition of four new international destinations and several new domestic routes,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. “I’d like to thank our 14 airlines for their confidence and investments in SJC, as well as the many partners who have been integral to achieving this double-digit growth, including our dedicated airport staff, Silicon Valley business partners, and the millions of travelers who choose SJC.”
“I am so proud of the Airport team’s work in achieving a fourth consecutive year of solid passenger growth in 2016,” said Director of Aviation Kim Becker. “With new and expanded airline service, we also achieved the distinction as No. 1 of 50 U.S. airports for passenger capacity growth in the calendar year, which is a significant accomplishment.”
“Also of importance, this growth has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in local economic impact, and has created new jobs at the Airport and within our community,” Becker continued.
