Mineta San Jose airport offers sneak peek of expansion

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start to the summer travel season and Mineta San Jose Airport is expected to set another record.

"Here at San Jose, we are expecting to break some records. Last Friday was our busiest day ever. [Friday] we are expecting another record-breaker and that should be repeated all summer," said Lorie Dankers, a TSA spokeswoman.

The busy travel season comes just as the San Jose airport is set to open a new addition to accommodate more passengers and more flights. 

Thursday, airport officials gave the media a sneak peek of the addition, under construction, which includes several new gates inside Terminal B.

Six new gates are going in, but they're only temporary while a long-term plan is worked out.

"We were in a situation where our growth was so tremendous in a very short period of time. We were gate-constrained and we needed new gates," said Mineta San Jose Airport assistant director Judy Ross.  

The airport hit a new record in 2018, serving 14.3 million passengers, and expects to serve more than 15 million passengers by the end of 2019.

Travelers will notice some new things inside the addition, including power outlets at every seat and boarding from jet bridges at the ground level and walking up to the airplane.

The addition cost $58 million dollars and was paid for with airport funds.

Gates 31-35 are set to open on June 13. Gate 36 is set to open November 1.