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San Jose Airport Offering Nonstop Flights To Japan Next Year

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Overseas flights are coming back to Mineta San Jose International Airport next year after an agreement was reached with All Nippon Airways to offer nonstop service to Tokyo.

Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino said the city has been working for some time to bring direct flights to and from Japan.

"We've found it is possible to enjoy champagne at 5 a.m.," he said. "When one major airline is in a market, the others feel they have to compete in that market. We say bring it on."

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

Currently, the only international flights flying out of San Jose are to Guadalajara and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

A recent survey of Silicon Valley companies found that Japan was the top destination choice among those polled and San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said most agreed that they would prefer flying out of San Jose rather than San Francisco International Airport.

"They were tired of having their employees drive the country's most on-time airport to go to the airport in San Francisco that is one of the most delayed in the country," said Reed.

It's still unclear whether the Tokyo flights will be offered daily or five or six times a week.

The last time Mineta San Jose International Airport offered direct flights to Japan was in 2006.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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