Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Jose amends airport master plan to reflect lower passenger forecasts, plans for EVTOL and new aviation development
Summary
Council adopted a major amendment to the San Jose International Airport Master Plan, updating post‑pandemic forecasts (projecting about 17 million annual passengers by 2037), endorsing advanced‑air‑mobility planning for EVTOL/vertiports, and approving an environmental addendum to the 2020 EIR.
The San Jose City Council on May 15 adopted a major amendment to the San Jose International Airport Master Plan that updates long-range forecasts and adds planning language for emerging aviation technologies including electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (EVTOLs).
Airport staff told the council that updated forecasts revise the airport's earlier 2020 projection (22.5 million passengers by 2037) downward to roughly 17 million annual passengers by 2037, reflecting slower post‑pandemic recovery and changes in business travel patterns. "We conducted new forecasts to bring clarity to where and when we should place our resources in the coming decade," airport planner John Wilson said in the presentation.
The amendment also explicitly recognizes a growing corporate and general aviation segment at SJC and directs staff to study potential vertiport locations on airport property as part of advanced air mobility planning. Ryan Keelan, senior planner for airport environmental review, said the amendment is accompanied by an addendum to the airport's 2020 final EIR and concluded that the amendment "will not result in a substantial increase in the magnitude of any of the significant environmental impacts previously identified in the certified EIR."
Staff described potential near-term development opportunities on a parcel they call the "Orange Lot," including aviation-related manufacturing, hangar/aircraft storage, and fixed-base operator facilities. The airport also plans a public industry day and an anticipated RFP to generate private development and long-term revenue.
Councilmembers asked about revenue generation, accessibility for passengers with disabilities, and how EVTOL planning would progress. Staff said the amendment allows the city to study vertiport siting and policy options and emphasized coordination with FAA, other city departments and community stakeholders. "We're committing to studying them and looking at all of the possibilities out there," a staff planner said of EVTOLs, adding timelines for commercial deployment remain uncertain.
The council voted to approve the addendum and the master plan amendment by unanimous vote.
