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 struggle to banish its post-coronavirus ills.
Two federal grants totaling about $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 to the rest of the state and country,” the four Democratic House representatives said in a joint statement.
The Federal Aviation Commission, an organization within the US Department of Transportation, provided the funding.
“These upgrades to our runways will maintain our airport’s status as the most reliable and convenient airport in the country,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.
It was not immediately clear when construction of the new terminal and runway might begin.
The San Jose airport is still struggling to regain the heights it lost in passenger travel that the airport complex had achieved in 2019 before the 2020 coronavirus outbreak and the resulting business shutdowns that grounded the travel and lodging industry worldwide and the Bay Area.
“We are very pleased that the US Department of Transportation has recognized the importance of San Jose Airport as an economic driver for Silicon Valley and one of the best mid-sized airports in the United States,” said Mukesh Patel, San Jose’s Director of Aviation.
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