Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) will receive $10,826,858 in additional funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve one of the airport’s taxiways. The funding was announced by Santa Clara County’s Representatives in Congress – Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20).
“This type of infrastructure improvement project provides a dual boost to our local economy—we provide jobs for construction workers building the taxiway today and grow our airport’s capacity for the future,” said the Representatives. “This federal investment for SJC will improve safety and capacity at the airport as it continues to serve our communities.”
“This grant provides a key piece of funding for our plan to enhance both safety and efficiency of SJC’s airfield,” said SJC Director of Aviation John Aitken. “We remain grateful to Reps. Lofgren, Eshoo, Khanna and Panetta for their continued advocacy in Washington for investment in Silicon Valley’s aviation infrastructure.”
The grant funds the first phase of a project to construct 6,765 feet of Taxiway V, and associated connectors, to improve access to aircraft hangars. In total, the funding will construct 1,100 feet of the taxiway as part of the first phase of the construction. The grant is provided as part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which funds airport infrastructure projects and was established by the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-248). Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources.
This funding follows prior federal funding for Mineta San Jose International Airport. In July, Lofgren announced $10 million from the bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which all four Representatives supported, to improve accessibility at the airport. Last December, Lofgren announced $15.8 million in bipartisan infrastructure legislation funding to improve infrastructure at the airport. In June 2021, Lofgren announced $55.5 million in COVID-19 relief funding for the airport. In March 2021, Lofgren announced $1.6 million for the airport and its concessions thanks to the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act. In April 2020, Lofgren announced more than $65.6 million in funding from the CARES Act.