San Jose Mineta International Airport

Norman Y. Mineta San José International sits in the middle of Silicon Valley, making it the natural field for the South Bay — Palo Alto to San José and the tech corridor in between. For a lot of Bay Area business travel it's more convenient than San Francisco, and it carries a strong stream of corporate and private flying to match the valley it serves.

Who flies here

SJC handles full commercial service alongside heavy business-aviation traffic — unsurprising given the density of technology companies around it. Its general-aviation facilities have been rebuilt and expanded in recent years to keep up with that private demand.

On the field

As of mid-2026 the two FBOs at San José are Signature Aviation and Atlantic Aviation, both on the west side of the field, away from the commercial terminals. Signature developed a large modern general-aviation complex here as part of the airport's recent build-out.

A bit of history

San José dedicated its municipal airport in 1949 after a decade of development — the first commercial flight, a Southwest Airways DC-3, famously carried seven passengers and 2,550 baby chickens, only the chickens getting off at San José. In 2001 the city added the name of Norman Y. Mineta, the San José native who served as a U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Commerce, to the field.

FBO and history details were last verified mid-2026 against the airport's and operators' own published information; tenants and amenities change, so confirm the departure terminal with your operator.