Tijuana International Airport, also known as General Abelardo L Rodríguez International Airport, is the fifth busiest airport in Mexico. It is located 6km away from Tijuana city in Baja California State, Mexico, and it is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP). In 2012, Tijuana International Airport handled 3.73 million passengers.

GAP proposed the construction of a 525ft cross-border facility at the airport in November 2012. The bridge will link Tijuana airport with Otay Mesa terminal in San Diego, US. It will reduce the delays in cross-border commuting.

The project will include the construction of a 65,000ft² two-storey building and car park at the Otay Mesa terminal in San Diego. It will also include check points for US customs and Mexican immigration offices.

The facility is estimated to cost have $77.9m. Construction is expected to be completed by May 2014, and the facility is expected to be up and running by July 2014. The Otay-Tijuana Venture will construct the facility. Legorreta + Legorreta, an architecture firm based in Mexico, designed the facility.

Recent expansions at the Tijuana International Airport

Expansion and remodelling work was completed at the airport in February 2012. The passenger check-in area, X-ray baggage screening area, and the international arrivals and international baggage claim areas were all renovated as part of the project.

The expansion included upgrading of the terminal and concourses, hold rooms and ticket counters, and the construction of a new airport bus terminal. It also featured airfield improvements, such as partial rehabilitation of the landing strip, installation of drainage pipes and improvements to air security. The investment on the project was Ps. 362.4m ($29.87m).

Past expansions at the Tijuana International Airport

The main passenger terminal at the airport was expanded in 2002. The expansion included the extension of concourses A and B to accommodate large aircraft such as Boeing 747. The expansion also included extending the taxiways. The terminal expansion resulted in doubling the passenger capacity of the airport.

Terminals at Tijuana International Aiport

The airport has one main passenger terminal with two concourses A and B, which hwas opened in 1970. The terminal has a total floor space of 16,165m² and is constructed across 6.65 acres. The facilities at the terminal include duty free shopping, ATMs, restaurants and Wi-Fi.

The airport terminal has the capacity to handle up to 10 million passengers a year. It has 23 gates and four baggage claiming carousels, while two lounges are located at concourse A.

The airport has an old terminal, which is used for the aviation of Mexican military and federal police forces. The airport also has one general aviation terminal building, which features administrative offices, a pilots’ lounge and a passenger lounge.

Tijuana international airport runways

The airport has a single runway (09/27), which is 2,960m in length and paved with asphalt. A taxiway is located parallel to the runway.

Ground transportation

Buses and taxis can be accessed from the both arrivals and departure areas. The airport has seven car rental companies, which include Alamo, National, Thrifty, Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Budget and Europcar. Shuttle services are available from the airport to the city centre.

Parking facilities at Tijuana International Airport

The airport has parking spaces located at building E in the main passenger terminal and at the old airport terminal. It has both covered and uncovered parking services and offers round-the-clock security.