San Jose is the tenth-most populous city in the United States and the third-most populous city in California. It is also the largest city in Northern California in terms of both area and population.
The city covering a total area of 179.97 square miles is located in the centre of the Santa Clara Valley. It is accessible via a roadway as well as an airway.
Talking about San Jose Airports, there are two airports operating flights to various domestic and international destinations. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and Reid-Hillview County Airport are the two San Jose Airports.
In this article, we will explore all the details of the two San Jose Airports. So, without further ado, let’s get started…
Major San Jose Airports
Table of Contents
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (ICAO: KSJC, IATA: SJC, FAA LID: SJC) is one of the major San Jose Airports located in California, United States. The airport is named after former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Mr Norman Mineta.
The airport is commonly referred to as San Jose International Airport (SJC). It is a city-owned public airport situated at an elevation of 62 ft/19 m.
San Jose International Airport History
A wholesale grocer and future mayor of San Jose Mr Ernie Renzel proposed a plan to purchase 483 acres of the Stockton Ranch to construct an airport in San Jose in 1939. Almost 16 acres of the total 483 acres land was leased by a test pilot named James M. Nissen to construct an office building, hangar and runway.
The wholesale grocer Renzel and test pilot Nissen were enthusiastic about the development of the San Jose Municipal Airport proposed by the city of San Jose. With that, Southwest Airways Douglas DC-3 was the first aircraft to operate flights to and from the airport in 1948. The first airline flight was conducted as a multistop run between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Other airlines including Pacific Southwest Airlines, Bonanza Air Lines, West Coast Airlines, and Republic Airlines started operating flights to various destinations such as Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
A major improvement was achieved in 1988 when American Airlines started operation of its hub at San Jose Airports. The airline conducted commercial flights to domestic sectors including Seattle, Phoenix, San Diego, Maui, Orange County, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Denver, Boston and Austin and international destinations in Tokyo, Paris, and Taipei via Terminal A of San Jose International Airport.
The airport went through degradation following the September 11 attacks in 2001 as most of the airlines dropped their scheduled flights to and from the San Jose airports. The name of the airport was changed to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in November month of the same year.
The airport encountered various enhancement projects such as the Terminal project, Concourse development, infrastructure development and much more in 2005. More than US$ 3 billion was invested to renovate and enhance the airport.
The service expansion started after 2010 when major carriers including Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Volaris, Hawaiian Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Hainan Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada Express, Lufthansa, Aeromexico, Air China, Virgin America, Frontier Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines started scheduled commercial passenger flights to and from the airport to various destinations around the world.
SJC Runway Information
The San Jose International Airport features two Asphalt/Concrete runways.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | DIMENSION | SURFACE |
| RWY 12L/30R | 11,000 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt/Concrete |
| RWY 12R/30L | 11,000 ft by 150 ft | Asphalt/Concrete |
Facilities at SJC
The Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport covers a total area of 1,050 acres and features two asphalt/concrete runways with designation 12L/30R and 12R/30L. The airport equips two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B opened in 1990 and 2010 respectively.
The Terminal A of the SJC accommodates 17 gates categorized as 1-7, 7A, and 8-16. This terminal contains larger ground-level ticketing counters, larger security checkpoints, and parking space. American Airlines operates the Admirals Club across from Gate 8.
The Terminal B of the SJC holds 24 gates numbered from 17 to 2. This terminal features modern art, dramatic daylit spaces, ticket counters/gates, and USB charging stations.
Airlines Operating at San Jose International Airport
| AIRLINES | DESTINATIONS |
| Air Canada Express | Vancouver |
| Alaska Airlines | Austin, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, San Jose del Cabo, San Diego, Puerto Vallarta, Portland (OR), Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Lihue, Kailua-Kona, Kahului, Honolulu, Guadalajara, Everett, Boise |
| All Nippon Airways | Haneda-Tokyo |
| American Airlines | Phoenix-Sky Harbor, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago-O’Hare |
| American Eagle | Los Angeles |
| British Airways | London-Heathrow |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis/St. Paul |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Honolulu, Kahului |
| JetBlue | New York-JFK, Boston |
| Southwest Airlines | St. Luois, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, San Diego, Portland (OR), Salt Lake City, Phoenix-Sky Harbor, Ontario, Orange County, Nashville, Lihue, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hobby, Las Vegas, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Honolulu, Dever, Dallas-Love, Burbank, Boise, Austin, Chicago-Midway |
| United Airlines | Houston-Intercontinental, Denver |
| United Express | Houston-Intercontinental, Denver |
| Volaris | Mexico City, Morelia, Zacatecas, Leon/Del Bajio, Guadalajara |
Major Domestic destinations from SJC
| DESTINATION | OPERATING AIRLINES |
| Phoenix-Sky Harbor | American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines |
| San Diego | Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines |
| Seattle/Tacoma | Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines |
| Denver | Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines |
| Las Vegas | Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Delta Air Lines |
| Los Angeles | Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines |
| Orange County | Southwest Airlines |
| Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | American Airlines |
| Portland | Southwest Airlines, American Airlines |
| Honolulu | Southwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines |
Major International Destinations from SJC
| DESTINATION | OPERATING AIRLINES |
| Guadalajara | Alaska Airlines, Volaris |
| London-Heathrow | British Airways |
| San Jose del Cabo | Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines |
| Vancouver | Air Canada |
| Narita-Tokyo | All Nippon Airways |
| Beijing | Hainan Airlines |
| Morelia | Volaris |
| Guanajuato | Volaris |
| Zacatecas | Volaris |
SJC Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | KSJC |
| IATA CODE | SJC |
| FAA LID | SJC |
| AREA | 1,050 acres (420 ha) |
| ELEVATION | 62 ft (19 m) AMSL |
| RUNWAY | 12L/30R (Asphalt/Concrete)12R/30L (Asphalt/Concrete) |
Reid-Hillview County Airport
Reid-Hillview County Airport (ICAO: KRHV, IATA: RHV, FAA LID: RHV) is among the San Jose Airports located in Santa Clara County, California, United States. This airport doesn’t operate scheduled airline service because it is a general aviation airfield.
RHV Airport History
The Reid-Hillview County Airport came into reality in 1937 after the construction of Garden City Airport in 1935 (closed to give space for U.S. Route 101). The Reid-Hillview airport was built with a single runway until 1965 and the second runway was added later. Likewise, the airport control tower was inaugurated in October 1967.
The airport acted as an emergency airfield for operating supplies flights when mountains and coastal roads were blocked.
Santa Clara Country published research that revealed an increase in blood lead levels in children living near the airport. As per the report published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, unsafe levels of lead was spotted in the air above the southeastern side of the airport. This exceeded the Air Quality Standards limit maintained by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Due to the adverse environmental effect, the Board of Supervisors decided to close the airport. With the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approval, the airport will be closed no sooner than 1st January 2022.
After closure, all flights will be handled by San Jose International Airport.
RHV Runway Information
The Reid-Hillview Airport features two asphalt runways with the designation RWY 13L/31R and RWY 13R/31L.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| RWY 13L/31R | 3,100 ft | Asphalt |
| RWY 13R/31L | 3, 099 ft | Asphalt |
RHV Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | KRHV |
| IATA CODE | RHV |
| FAA LID | RHV |
| ELEVATION | 133 ft (40.5 m) AMSL |
| RUNWAY | 13L/31R (Asphalt)13R/31L (Asphalt) |
How many airports are in San José?
There are two airports facilitating flights to diverse domestic and international destinations connecting San Jose. These are Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and Reid-Hillview County Airport, both serving as the two airports in San Jose.
What airport does Southwest fly into in San José CA?
Southwest Airlines operates flights to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) in San José, CA.
Is it better to fly into San José or San Francisco airport?
Choosing between San José (SJC) and San Francisco (SFO) airports depends on various factors, such as your ultimate destination, budget, and personal preferences.
What does SJC stand for San Jose airport?
SJC refers to San Jose International Airport, the main airport serving the San Jose metropolitan area in California. Its official name is Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.
What is the new name for the San José airport?
Starting January 23, 2023, there has been a slight alteration in the official name of the San José airport. Although it continues to be officially designated as Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, it is now branded as San José Mineta International Airport.
