A South Bay airport wants to offer direct flights to Washington, D.C., but they need the public’s help to make it happen.
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) Submitted a pitch Calling out to travelers on X (formerly Twitter) Help the competition Spirit Airlines would operate direct flights to Washington, D.C., if the airport acquires the route.
SJC spokeswoman Anna State said the response to the flight proposal has been overwhelming: 200 people have responded since the survey was sent out June 27. She said the survey was not part of the bidding process, but the airport wanted to show the community’s support for Spirit Airlines and having more flight options.
“As part of this bid, we are seeking the support of local and state stakeholders, including businesses, political representatives and area residents,” the state government told San Jose Spotlight. “We have received numerous comments from people explaining how this service would affect them, and we will forward them to Spirit Airlines for consideration.”
San Jose is one of the largest cities in the country without a nonstop flight to Washington, D.C., and the new service will give residents a closer and more convenient option than the typical hour-long trip to San Francisco International Airport.
If the service is successful, it would replace SJC’s fewer nonstop routes to the East Coast, which include JetBlue’s seasonal service to Boston and New York and Spirit Airlines’ four-times-weekly nonstop service to its Baltimore-Washington hub.
Dan Connolly, a former chairman of the San Jose Airport Commission, remains skeptical that the airport can make it happen, saying the commission has struggled to attract and maintain long-haul and international flights because of the city’s aircraft weight restrictions.
“Without a weight limit, I don’t think (SJC) has enough capacity in terms of fuel,” he told San Jose Spotlight.
Despite these obstacles, Spirit Airlines’ recent expansion into San Jose has been a success. Just one year after starting operations, Spirit Airlines has quickly expanded its presence in the South Bay.
Spirit Airlines began daily service from San Jose Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth, San Diego and Las Vegas on June 7, 2023. Last month, Spirit Airlines expanded existing service by adding twice-daily flights to Los Angeles, once-daily flights to Portland and four-weekly flights to Baltimore/Washington. Starting Sept. 4, the airline will offer twice-daily nonstop flights to Burbank.
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These developments are part of the airport’s efforts to recover from the impact the pandemic has had on the travel industry. Prior to the pandemic, the majority of the airport’s traffic was driven by business travel. That has changed as businesses transition to remote and hybrid work environments. SJC expects Spirit Airlines’ continued expansion, along with other airlines, to provide more options for leisure and family travel.
Please contact Kassia Bonesteel [email protected] Or follow @kekb2004 on X (formerly Twitter).