San Jose gains Mexico flights

Amid rising demand, Aeromexico will offer new routes between tech hubs

SAN JOSE — Aeromexico will offer new flights from Mineta San Jose International Airport to a tech hub in Mexico amid rising demand for trips that serve the South Bay, officials said Wednesday.

Direct flights will be offered six days a week between San Jose and Guadalajara, beginning July 1, according to airline executives and airport officials.

Guadalajara is an emerging technology hub in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The Guadalajara metro area has 4.3 million residents, making it the second

most populous urban center in Mexico, after the Mexico City region.

“This new route will bring more connectivity options between Mexico and the United States with more than 2,200 weekly seats for our clients traveling for business or pleasure,” said Anko van der Werff, chief revenue officer with Aeromexico.

In a key connection for Silicon Valley, Guadalajara has evolved into the principal center for technology companies in Mexico.

“Guadalajara is a good market for us,” said Vicki Day, a spokeswoman for Mineta San Jose International Airport. “Because it is Mexico’s tech center, there is a lot of business travel, and a lot of friends and family travel as well.”

Aeromexico is the 15th airline to serve San Jose, airport officials said.

“More than 20,000 San Jose residents are from this region of Mexico, and they will find a convenient and world-class experience while traveling through San Jose airport,” said Kim Becker, San Jose’s aviation director.

The push by Aeromexico into San Jose increases competition among air carriers serving the air corridor between Santa Clara County and Mexico.

Volaris and Alaska Airlines already offer flights every day between San Jose and Guadalajara, Day said. Alaska also flies between San Jose and Cabo San Lucas several times a week.

“This new flight is an important investment in San Jose’s sister-city relationship with Guadalajara. It will foster business-to-business connections for Silicon Valley companies,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said Wednesday.

Aeromexico’s flights also add to the South Bay airport’s already rising activity.

In January, the passenger count was up 14.2 percent from January 2016, Day said.

For all of 2016, the passenger count for San Jose airport was up 10.2 percent. The passenger counts are based on passenger seats occupied.

“In terms of seat capacity, San Jose was the fastest-growing airport in the nation in 2016,” Day said.