SAN JOSE >> Although San Jose Mineta International Airport passenger trips were down for much of 2024, a burst of holiday travel in December offers hope that there is positive momentum going into 2025.

According to statistics released by the South Bay aviation hub, it served nearly 1.02 million passengers in December 2024, up 4.9% compared to December 2023.

The December numbers were a 6.8% improvement over activity in November, when the airport handled about 954,800 passengers. However, when compared with 2023, 2024 was a difficult year.

Last year, San Jose’s airport accommodated 11.85 million passengers, down 2% from the 12.1 million in 2023, data shows.

Overall, the Bay Area’s three major airports remain well below heights reached in 2019.

In 2024, San Jose International Airport was 24.3% below its record high of 15.65 million passengers in 2019, measured by the full-year totals.

Over the 12 months that ended in November 2024, Oakland Airport was 18.5% below its passenger activity in 2019. Over the same one-year period ending in November, San Francisco Airport was 9.8% below 2019. November was the most recent month for which statistics were available for the two airports.

Despite the gap between San Jose’s passenger activity in 2024 compared with 2019, recent trends could provide a foundation for growth in 2025.

For example, the airport handled more than 1 million passengers in six of the eight most recent months, figures show. Before the recent stretch from May through December 2024, it went six months in a row below the 1 million passenger figure.

“Our team is committed to providing the best travel experience,” said Mookie Patel, San Jose’s aviation director.

San Jose International Airport reported recently that two airlines — Southwest and Delta — have decided to provide new nonstop services that will connect San Jose to Las Vegas, Detroit and Baltimore.

Delta intends to begin nonstop service to Las Vegas on May 7 and Detroit on July 7. Southwest plans to launch nonstop flights to Baltimore on June 5.

The San Jose airport pointed to other milestones that have helped lift passenger activity.

Frontier Airlines returned, Spirit Airlines added new routes and increased frequencies for departures and arrivals, and ZIPAIR enhanced its service to Tokyo.

“We’re excited for a new year filled with additional routes, new dining and shopping options, and continued investments in making San Jose Airport the easiest airport for Silicon Valley travelers,” Patel said.

San Jose International Airport, the primary aviation hub that serves Silicon Valley, also received a key award from an influential analyst of the air travel industry.

Ciriium reported that it had the sixth-best on-time performance worldwide among medium-sized airports, reported the company, which analyzes and tracks aviation statistics and trends.

The ranking from Ciricum also meant San Jose International Airport was California’s top airport for on-time performance in 2024, city officials noted.

“San Jose International Airport continues to exemplify excellence as a key gateway to our region and city,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

The Cirium report stated that 84.7% of San Jose International Airport’s departures occurred on time during 2024.

In the same study, Oakland Airport reported that 81.1% of its departures occurred on time — ranking it 11th worldwide among medium-sized airports.

San Francisco International Airport didn’t make the top 20 among large airports and wasn’t mentioned in the report.