General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport

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General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional de Tijuana General Abelardo L. Rodríguez


View of Tijuana new airport terminal
IATA: TIJ – ICAO: MMTJ
Summary
Airport type Public, Military
Operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico
Serves Tijuana-San Diego
Location Tijuana, Baja California
Elevation AMSL 149 m / 489 ft
Coordinates 32°32′27″N 116°58′12″W / 32.54083, -116.97
Website Aeropuerto Internacional de Tijuana
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,960 9,711 Asphalt

General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport (IATA: TIJ, ICAO: MMTJ) in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, is Mexico's second northernmost airport after Mexicali International Airport. Tijuana's Airport is a busy modern airport, which handled 3.8 million passengers in 2006[1], and 4.7 million passengers in 2007[2]. It is a fast growing airport, the fifth busiest airport in Mexico after Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara and Monterrey airports. It is expected to handle in 2008 more than 5 million passengers. The airport registered a total amount (includes domestic and international traffic) of 1,451,500 passengers for the period of January-April 2008, representing a decrease of 0.9% over January-April 2007[3]. It can handle up to 10 million passengers and 360 flights per day.

Tijuana's airport is the hub for Avolar, a new low-cost airline (since August 2005), and the second leading airline at the airport, currently operating up to 30 daily flights. It was the first low-cost airline in Mexico, before some airlines as Interjet and Volaris. Aeroméxico together with Aeroméxico Connect, the leading airline in Tijuana, for example, operate up to 70 daily flights to/from 13 Mexican cities. Aeroméxico is trying to develop the airport as a gateway to Asia. Since the first flight in November 2006, Aeroméxico operates flights to Tokyo-Narita[4] and Shanghai[5].

Commercially speaking, the airport is composed of a single runway, a parallel taxiway, and a 23 gate terminal with two concourses, a food court and a high-tech control tower, one of the tallest in Mexico. Inside the airport terminal there is an Aeroméxico Salón Premier Lounge. At the other side of the airport there is another terminal, the old airport terminal, which houses military aviation, mostly performed by the Mexican Armed Forces. The airport is also used to a lesser extent for general aviation, housed at two smaller terminal-like buildings.

It is part of the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, a holding group that controls 12 international airports in central and northern Mexico.

Contents

[edit] History

Airport Main Terminal Layout.
Airport Main Terminal Layout.

The airport first terminal was originally built on the southwest part of the airport, facing the new and current terminal building. The airport was incorporated to ASA in 1965.

By the end of the 60's, 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 began and was opened in October 15, 1970, by then-President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz.

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.

[edit] 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 international gateway from Asia to Latinamerica, 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.

Since the inauguration of the flights to Tokyo and Shanghai, and probably Seoul, Aeroméxico has requested more positions capable of handling the Boeing 777, since only one is available at the concourse where the airline operates from. The airport authorities have stated therefore, that they are considering the possibility of building a new concourse, with 7 gates, from which two of them could receive the Boeing 777, even with double jetways for each position, but increasing the fees on those selected flights. There has not been a formal statement on behalf of the airport nor the airline on this matter.

[edit] Location

The runway of the Tijuana Airport runs (east-west) parallel to the U.S.-Mexico border fence and is approximately 100 meters south of it. The approach to the runway is either from the east (normally) or from the west (when Santa Ana wind conditions exist). The airport's main runway is located just 30 meters away from the Autonomous University of Baja California: it is the only airport in the world located between an international border and a university.[citation needed]

Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM / KSDM) in San Diego, California lies just over one nm north of TIJ, with a similar runway length and a slightly different orientation (08 / 26). However SDM is a general aviation field not set up for scheduled passenger service.

Aeroméxico provides a shuttle service from San Diego, California, United States[6] to General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport to allow for San Diego residents to make connections within Mexico, Japan[4], and the People's Republic of China[5].

[edit] Ground transportation

Further information: Tijuana#Local_transportation

[edit] Bus

The airport may be reached from Downtown Tijuana or Zona Rio (or viceversa) by the local bus route Mirador-Miramar-Soler-Centro-Plaza Rio-Otay-Aeropuerto, for only $6.50 Mexican Peso (around $0.60 U.S. dollar, or almost €50 cents) per ride ticket.

[edit] Taxi

Due to a prohibition by Mexican law, Mexican cities' public taxis may only drop passengers to the airport, but cannot pick up passengers from the terminal. The airport then 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).

[edit] Terminals, airlines and destinations

Tijuana International Airport was first composed of only one terminal building. In October 15, 1970, Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz opened the new and current main terminal. Since then, the new terminal has been used for commercial aviation, while the old terminal (known as Old airport) was set for military aviation, after all commercial aviation moved to the newly inaugurated terminal .

[edit] Old Airport Terminal

Boarding gates at Concourse A
Boarding gates at Concourse A
One of Aeromexico's 737-800 at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse A.
One of Aeromexico's 737-800 at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse A.
One of Aeromexico's 737 at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse A.
One of Aeromexico's 737 at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse A.
Further information: Mexican Air Force#Structure

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.

In-coming flights of this armed forces agencies usually arrive from the Mexican Air Force Central Region, mostly from Mexico City International Airport or nearby airbases.

[edit] Main Terminal

[edit] Concourse A (Gates A1-A12)

[edit] Gates A1-A5 and A7-A12
  • Aeroméxico (Culiacán, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, León, Mexico City, Mazatlán, Morelia, Puerto Vallarta)
    • Aeroméxico Connect (Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Monterrey)
  • ALMA de Mexico (Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, La Paz, Los Mochis)
  • Aviacsa (Guadalajara, Mexico City)
  • Volaris (Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Cancún, Culiacán, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, León, Los Cabos, Morelia, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tapachula, Toluca)

[edit] Gate A6

[edit] Concourse B (Gates B12-B24)

  • Aero California (Chihuahua, Ciudad Obregon, Colima, Culiacán, Durango, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, La Paz, Los Mochis, Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla, Tepic, Torreón)
  • Avolar (Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Colima, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara, Morelia, León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tepic, Uruapan, Zacatecas)
  • Mexicana (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Zacatecas)
  • Viva Aerobus (Culiacán, Monterrey)
Aero California and Mexicana airplanes at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse B
Aero California and Mexicana airplanes at Tijuana Intl. Airport Concourse B

[edit] Charter airlines

[edit] Cargo airlines

[edit] Former airlines/destinations

[edit] Domestic

[edit] International

[edit] Notable incidents

  • The airport was home for an old Boeing 747 from Kabo Airlines (Nigeria) that had been there for more than 15 years. Now, it is home for a B747 from Global Peace Ambassadors.
  • Just almost a day before former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was arrested in Chile, he landed for the first time on the American continent on Tijuana's airport for a short stop of an hour.
  • In May 2007 a Copa Airlines flight from Panama City to Los Angeles was dirverted to Tijuana because the aircraft was low on fuel. The passengers were forced to stay in Tijuana over night for hours without food or water because the LAX immigration was closed.
  • In May 2008 a Neos flight from Paris to Papeete had to stop in Tijuana to recharge fuel. The aircraft was forced to stop in both trips.

[edit] Gallery

Control tower.

Main corridor.

Check-in counters of ALMA de Mexico and Aero California at Tijuana Intl. Airport.

Aeromexico check-in counters

Luggage claim conveyors.

Parking Lot.

East front side of the terminal.

View of airport.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Cnnexpansion.com "Abertis buys airports" (Spanish) [1]
  2. ^ Passenger Statistics for 2007 [2]
  3. ^ Passenger statistics for JAN/APR 2008 [3]
  4. ^ a b "Narita (NRT) Service," Aeroméxico
  5. ^ a b "Shanghai (PVG) Service," Aeroméxico
  6. ^ "Creating a connection," San Diego Union-Tribune

[edit] External links