Mineta San Jose International Airport was awarded two federal grants totaling $15.3 million last week, an airport spokeswoman said.
The grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, and Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, helped the airport secure the grants, spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said.
"I'm pleased to see another sizeable federal investment in Mineta San Jose International," Lofgren said in a statement. "By ensuring the airport's safety and by maintaining critical infrastructure, we are taking steps to ensure that more businesses and travelers will choose Mineta as the gateway to the Valley."
One grant for $8.1 million will enhance the airport's security by upgrading perimeter fencing technology, Barnes said. The second grant for $7.2 million will rehabilitate 200,000 square feet of asphalt apron used for parking aircraft.
The airport had a series of security breakdowns in 2014, including one in which a Santa Clara boy stowed away in the wheel well of a plane that flew to Hawaii.
"These funds will go a long way to ensuring the safety of the more than 10 million passengers who fly in and out and to assuring the airport can accommodate its ongoing passenger growth," Honda said in a statement.
"The safety and security of all airport users is our number one priority. This funding allows us to achieve our goals by upgrading perimeter security through state-of-the-art technology and restoring commercial aircraft parking areas," airport director of aviation Kim Becker said in a statement.
