SAN JOSE – San Jose Mineta International Airport has landed a serious round of financing to support construction projects for a brand new terminal and runway, despite the air hub's struggles to beat its problems following the coronavirus pandemic.
The airport has been awarded two federal grants totaling about $18.1 million, Bay Area House 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 to the rest of the state and the country,” the 4 Democratic members of the House of Representatives said in a joint comment.
The funding was provided by the Federal Aviation Commission, a company of the US Department of Transportation.
It was initially unclear when construction of the brand new terminal and runway could begin.
San Jose Airport remains to be struggling to regain the passenger numbers it lost in 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak and resulting shutdowns in 2020 that crippled the travel and lodging industries worldwide and within the Bay Area.
“We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Transportation has recognized San Jose Airport’s importance as an economic engine for Silicon Valley and as one of the best mid-sized airports in the United States,” said Mukesh Patel, San Jose’s aviation director.
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