Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
History, Facts and Overview
(San Jose, California - CA, USA)
In 1940, around 500 acres / 200 hectares of land was purchased from the estate of the Stockton Ranch, next to the city centre, as the proposed site for San Jose's planned airport. Five years later a small flying school opened here, soon to be followed by the city's Municipal Airport. In 1965, the airport opened its first passenger terminal, which is the current Terminal C, soon followed by further improvements.
The arrival of American Airlines in 1988 was a definite turning point for Mineta San Jose Airport (SJC) and resulted in the building of Terminal A. Many international destinations to and from San Jose were offered at this stage, including cities in Japan, Mexico and the UK. Currently Mineta Airport is implementing ambitious expansion plans costing over $1 billion, which are due to be completed by spring 2010 and include a new North Concourse and finally the building of Terminal B.
There are cash machines throughout the airport terminals at Mineta San Jose, as well as bureau de change, postal facilities, a children's entertainment area and a lost property service in Terminal C. A good selection of shops include newsagents, DVD rentals and gift shops, while snack bars, cafés, fast-food outlets, restaurants and bars abound in both terminals, such as Burger King, the California Pizza Kitchen, Cinnabon, Gordon Biersch, Harbor Express, Max's and Starbucks.
Those looking for Internet access will find the Neptune Internet Stations inside Terminal A and C, while the Wayport Wireless Internet service can be accessed throughout the terminal. Other notable facilities at Mineta San Jose Airport include an observation deck boasting runway views, insurance counters, bicycle racks and FedEx mail drops. The nearby DoubleTree Hotel provides excellent conference and business facilities, while the onsite Admiral's Club inside Terminal A offers a number of meeting rooms and a business center. Worth remembering, many of the telephones within Terminal C have dataports.
