Tijuana International Airport (IATA: TIJ, ICAO: MMTJ), sometimes referred to as General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, is Mexico's second northernmost airport after Mexicali International Airport. The airport is located in the city's Otay Centenario borough, just immediately south of the U.S border. It handled 4,268,800 passengers in 2013, and 4,387,800 passengers in 2014. It is the fifth busiest airport in Mexico after Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara and Monterrey airports. The airport can handle up to 10 million passengers per year and 360 flights per day.
From 2006 until September 2014, Aeroméxico has operated 3 weekly flights to Tokyo-Narita, but from September they will stop in Monterrey instead. Aeroméxico resumed services to Shanghai on March 26, 2010 after the airline halted service 11 months earlier due to the 2009 flu pandemic. The airline temporarily suspended service to Shanghai once again from September 4, 2011 to January 10, 2012.
The airport serves as hub for Volaris, currently the second leading airline at TIJ, and the only one operating at both concourses. It formerly was a focus city for Aero California, Aerolíneas Internacionales, Líneas Aéreas Azteca, and ALMA de Mexico. Tijuana's airport was the largest and main hub for Avolar, a new low-cost airline (since August 2005), and the airport's second leading airline at a time. It was one of the first low-cost airlines in Mexico, after some airlines such as, SARO and TAESA.
It is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, a holding group that controls 12 international airports in central and northern Mexico. In terms of domestic destinations (totalling 32 cities), it is the best connected airport after Mexico City.
§History
The Tijuana airport opened as the "Aeropuerto Federal de Tijuana" on May 1, 1951, replacing Tijuana's former airport, then located on today's Aguacaliente Boulevard. The new airport's runway had an orientation of 10/28 and was 2.5 kilometers in length (8,200 feet) and the first terminal was built on the southwest part of the airport, facing the new and current terminal building. In 1954, Mexicana de Aviacion began direct Tijuana-Mexico City flights. The airport was incorporated to ASA in 1965. Under President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, a National Plan of Airports was initiated and headed by Gilberto Valenzuela Esquerro, Secretary of Public Works (Secretario de Obras Publicas).
In the 1960s, the demand of flights to the then-developing city of Tijuana increased, as more passengers were arriving and settling in the city. The construction of the new terminal and a 2.5 kilometer 09-27 runway to accommodate larger aircraft was finished in July 1970 and inaugurated on November 19, 1970, by then-President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz and Gilberto Valenzuela Esquerro, Secretary of Public Works. The total cost for the improvements in 1970 was $108,487,000 Pesos ($8,678,960 U.S. dollars).
The original terminal was then assigned as an air base for the Mexican Armed Forces, and it is now simply known as the aeropuerto viejo, or old airport. The terminal, however, is seldom referred as Terminal 1, with Main Terminal being referred as Terminal 2.
In 1983, Tijuana became Mexico's fastest growing city, both terminal and parking areas were expanded to meet increased demand. In 1987, air traffic suffered a sharp decline due to the suspension of service by Aeromexico. With the restructuring of Aeromexico in 1988, service and air traffic increased causing delays in service. Both terminal space and parking for passengers became inadequate. To meet demand, Mexico issued its first two 10 year private sector airport "co-investments" to expand both the departure lounges and parking areas. Construction of both were completed in 1991
The airport is named after General Abelardo L. Rodríguez, Governor of Baja California, and late President of Mexico.
§Expansion
The airport terminal was expanded and renovated in 2002, when the extension of concourse A and B was built, allowing the terminal to double its capacity. Several taxiways were also expanded, to allow the operations of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747. Nevertheless, as the airport has become one of the most important hubs and gateways in the country, and the only non-stop international gateway from Asia to Latin America, there is a plan of a new terminal, which could house the operations of the major airline at the airport: Aeroméxico (including Aeroméxico Connect). As of today, both of the concourses have been expanded and remodeled, including the progressive introduction of glass-jetways replacing the old ones.
From 2011 to 2012, the airport's Terminal 1 underwent major renovations at Concourse A and B, including new customs and international arrivals facilities, construction of a new bus terminal, and other exterior renovations.
§Cross Border Terminal (Terminal 2)
In 2008, authorities from both Mexico and the United States launched Project Smart Border 2010, which expressed the intent to build an alternate U.S.-Mexico terminal. Property on the U.S. side of the border was secured for this project in 2008 and on July 15, 2010 a Presidential Permit for the San Diego-Tijuana Airport Cross Border facility was signed by Robert D. Hormats, Under-Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs and issued to Otay-Tijuana Venture LLC with an effective date as of August 3, 2010. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has provided support, allowing the project to move forward with an expected groundbreaking in late 2013.
The project consists of a second terminal, located on U.S. soil adjacent to the border, and an international bridge. This building will serve as a check-in and processing facility for departing passengers only, with no gates or arrival facilities (thus functionally resembling Hong Kong International Airport own Terminal 2), but with its own parking and customs offices, that would link passengers to gates at Terminal 1 via a 525-foot bridge across the border. The structural scheme is intended to allow greater access to flights out of Tijuana Airport for both domestic and international air carriers.
Construction works have begun on both Tijuana and San Diego sides as of October 2013, with estimated completion being 2015. The project will cost an estimated 78 million US dollars, funded by U.S. private investors and Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. Building E of Tijuana's Terminal 1 is currently undergoing restructuring, to support the new bridge own structure on Mexican soil. The design of the joint binational Terminal 2 is the work of late Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.
In April 2014, Otay-Tijuana Venture, the developer of the border crossing, agreed to pay for the employees and of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and to build that facility.
§Location
Runway 09/27 runs east-west approximately 300 meters south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The approach to the runway is either from the east (normally) or from the west (when Santa Ana wind conditions exist).
Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM/KSDM) in San Diego, California lies just over one nautical mile (about 2 km) north of TIJ, with a similar runway length and orientation. However SDM is a general aviation field not set up for scheduled passenger service. Both SDM and TIJ are designated ports of entry.
§Facilities
Commercially speaking, the airport is composed of a single runway, a parallel taxiway, and a 23 gate main terminal with two concourses, a food court and a high-tech control tower, one of the tallest in Mexico. At the opposite side of the Main Terminal building there is another terminal and runway, the Old Airport Terminal, which houses military aviation, mostly performed by the Mexican Armed Forces; south of the adjacent runway (closed for commercial operations), there are 4 remote positions, mostly used by cargo airliners, linked by a shorter taxiway to the main runway. The airport is also used to a lesser extent for general aviation, housed at the General Aviation Building (GAB Terminal).
Main Terminal:
- Number of gates: 23
- Contact positions: 12
- Remote positions: 4
- Number of jetways: 10
- Lounges:
- Aeroméxico Salón Premier (Concourse A - Floor Level)
- VIP Room Tijuana (Main Terminal - Upper Level)
- Food court (Concourses A, B - Floor & Upper Level)
- Customs & Immigration (International Arrivals are handled at Concourse B, departures at Concourse A)
- Passport & Nationality Control (Domestic arrivals)
- Taxi & car rentals (Arrivals & Departures area)
- Bus Terminal (East of Main Terminal)
- Duty Free (Main corridor, Concourses A, B)
- Parking area (Building E)
GAB Terminal:
- General aviation apron
- VIP Room
- Pilots lounge
- Passengers lounge
Old Airport Terminal
- Apron
- Contact positions: 2
- Remote positions: 4
- Helipads: 3
- Parking area
§Terminals, airlines and destinations
- International arrivals are handled at Concourse B.
§Destination map
§Charter airlines
§Cargo airlines
§Old airport terminal
The Old Airport Terminal (known for locals as Aeropuerto Viejo, old airport) is set for aviation of the Mexican Military and federal police forces. This military airbase belongs to the Northwestern Region of the Mexican Air Force. One cargo airline operates at the terminal.
- Mexican military
- Mexican Army
- Mexican Air Force
- Agencies of the Attorney General Office of the Republic
- Federal police
- Federal Investigations Agency
In-coming flights of these armed forces agencies usually arrive from the Mexican Air Force Central Region, mostly from Mexico City International Airport or nearby airbases.
§GAB Terminal
Note: The General Aviation Building (GAB Terminal) is used for general/non-commercial aviation or private jets. The General Aviation Building is designed to receive up to 120 persons per hour and it has all the services for the convenience of passengers during their private flights. It has a surface of 420 sq. mts. [4,700 sq. ft.], where there are government offices, administrative offices, a pilots lounge and passenger lounge. Two aviation schools are based at this terminal, along with one cargo airline operating there.
- Centro Aeronáutico de Tijuana
§Busiest routes
§Ground transportation
§Bus
The airport may be reached from Downtown Tijuana or Zona Rio by local bus. It costs $11.00 MXP ($0.95 USD).
§Shuttle
Aeroméxico provides a shuttle service from San Diego, California, United States to General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport to allow San Diego residents make connections within Mexico, Japan, while Volaris provides a shuttle service between the airport and San Diego International Airport to allow passengers travelling to the United States reach their final destination. You cannot board this shuttle at San Diego International Airport.
§Taxi
Due to a prohibition by Mexican law, Mexican cities' public taxis may drop passengers at the airport, but cannot pick up passengers from the terminal. The airport thus offers transportation for passengers from the terminal to any point of the city on the SAAT Taxis (Servicio Aeroportuario de Autotransporte Terrestre, Spanish for Terrestrial Transport Airport Service, an airport government-leased taxi company). This and other authorized taxi carriers may be reached at the arrivals hall.
§Incidents and accidents
- Aeroméxico Flight 498: On August 31, 1986 an Aeroméxico DC-9 that originated from Mexico City with stops at Tijuana and other Mexican destinations collided with a private aircraft while attempting to land at Los Angeles International Airport.
- On February 6, 1996, a Cessna 500 with registration XA-SLQ from Aerotaxi Cachanilla crashed on takeoff from Tijuana to Ensenada, the two pilots and six passengers died in the crash.
- TAESA Flight 725: On November 9, 1999, en route from Tijuana to Mexico City, with a stop in Uruapan, Michoacán, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 went down a few minutes after leaving Uruapan International Airport en route to Mexico City. 18 people were killed in the accident, which prompted inquiries regarding the airline's safety and maintenance procedures, and led to the collapse of the airline months later.
- Aeroméxico Flight 2130: On September 6, 2001, a Saab 340B Aerolitoral's aircraft, today Aeroméxico Connect, ran out of fuel while en route from Ciudad Juárez to Tijuana, and had to make an emergency landing in the Palms Valley, Baja California. There were no casualties.
- Northwest Aeronautical Institute: On November 16, 2009, whilst on a training flight, a Piper Cherokee suffered an engine failure forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at the airport in Tijuana. The pilot landed the aircraft at the airport but the plane sufered some damage. The operations were canceled for about an hour in the General Aviation Terminal of the airport. The two people aboard escaped with only minor injuries.
- Aeroméxico: On January 21, 2010, an Aeroméxico Connect struggled to land in difficult weather conditions. After circling the airport, the plane attempted to land and the plane skid off the runway, and ended up with a wing buried in the mud. No injuries were reported.
§Gallery
§See also
- List of the busiest airports in Mexico
- Transportation in Tijuana
- San Diego International Airport
§References
§External links
- Tijuana International Airport
- Current weather at MMTJ from NOAA
- Airport information for MMTJ at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico - Company which operates the airport.
- General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport at Google Maps
- Off-Airport Parking and Ground Transportation
Interesting Informations
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