SJC kicks off first San Jose-to-Japan flight

Party-goers crowded the windows at Gate 15 in Terminal A to watch ANA flight 1077 roll into the gate under a water salute.

Ever wonder how a new flight gets christened? Skip the bottles of champagne against whatever counts as an airplane?s bow. The new All Nippon Airways flight from San Jose to Tokyo received a water turret salute, rolling through two streams of water gushing from fire hoses.

Some 300 people turned out for the inaugural flight gala at Mineta San Jose International Airport this morning, including the 158 people flying out on the first departure (a fully booked flight, folks with the airport told me). Event speakers included Mayor Chuck Reed, U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, and ANA Chairman Yoji Ohashi.

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Read all our ANA coverage, including more on today's flight, here.

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?I feel like a proud parent today,? said Silicon Valley Leadership Group Carl Guardino to the crowd. ?But pregnancy usually lasts nine months, not 36.?

The event wasn?t dampened by recent news of issues with ANA?s aircraft, the Dreamliner. This week, one plane began leaking fuel as it was taxiing down a runway in Boston, and another experienced a fire in its underbelly after it landed. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration launched a top-priority review of the Dreamliner?s safety. (Read more about that here.)

Donald Wright, ANA?s Executive Advisor, Airport Operations, The Americas, said the FAA often looks into the safety of new aircraft and confirmed that all ANA?s planes were flying.

Marc Casto, president of Casto Travel and one of the first passengers, was also nonplussed. ?For me, the No. 1 thing is, is the pilot willing to get behind the stick? They know about it more than I do,? he said.

Today?s flight was scheduled to leave at 11:45 a.m. after additional festivities, including a sake barrel breaking and a tour of the aircraft. Check back tomorrow when we chat with some of the passengers on their experience.

Shana Lynch is Managing Editor at the Business Journal. Her phone number is 408.299.1831.

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