General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport, more commonly known as Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), is operational 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Tijauna Airport is located on the extreme northern part of the Baja- California Peninsula on the California, USA – Mexico border. It is approximately a football field away from the International Fence. This Airport has the capacity to accommodate up to approximately 400 flights and transports about 10 million passengers per year.
Where Did the Airport Get its Name?
Rodríguez Luján better know as Abelardo L. Rodriguez was President of Mexico for two years from September 4th 1932 to November 30th 1934. This short two year term was a result of the resignation of Pascual Ortiz. Prior to his Presidential term he was Governor of Northern Baja California from 1923 to 1931. Given Rodriguez’s political impact in Mexico the Tijuana Airport was named in his honor.
Who Runs the Tijuana Airport?
Currently Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) is in charge of managing operations at the Tijuana Airport. However, prior to GAP, the corporation Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) was in charge of all operations. ASA is owned by the Mexican Government and acts as a separate legal entity that currently runs 21 airports throughout Mexico. In 1965 the airport was reopened for public commercial use.
Currently Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, incorporated in 1988 by private investors, is in charge of operations at the Tijuana International Airport. The corporation is owned by the Mexican government while still maintaining the status of a private legal entity. The Airport Transit Corporation is also in charge of operating 11 other airports throughout Mexico.
The Airport’s Growth
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico
Tijuana International Airport is the 5th largest airport in Mexico. Since its incorporation in 1965 the airport has undergone massive expansion. During the late 1960’s the airport had a drastic increase in demand for its services as a result of many Mexicans moving to Tijuana and its surrounding cities. To accommodate this need in late 1970 the airport finished the construction of its new terminal. Again in 2002 the airport underwent major construction and renovation. The expansion of the airport resulted in it becoming one of Mexico’s largest hub airports. The renovation allowed for larger aircraft and more access for vehicles coming and going from the airport. In 2001 the airport had approximately 3.225 million passengers increasing to roughly 4.740 million in 2007, nearly doubling the amount of passenger traffic. The airport’s total surface area is now approximately 914 acres including its main terminal building at 6.65 acres. Below is a graph of annual passenger growth since 2001.
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico
Getting Familiar
The Tijuana Airport is a relatively simple airport to navigate through. The image below lays out the airport’s main terminal and concourses. 
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico/ Wikipedia
Main Terminal 1st Floor: Food Court
Main Terminal 2nd Floor: VIP Lounge
Concourse A: Food Court, Aeromexico VIP Lounge, Shopping
Concourse B: Food Court, Shopping
Arrivals Area: Customs
While You Wait for Your Flight
With about 170 commercial units waiting for your flight can be entertaining. The area designated for commercial use is approximately 38,534 square feet. Below is a list of the services offered:
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico
Food and Beverages Authentic Mexican Food, Full-Service Bars, Cafés
Shops Pharmacy and Convenience, Apparel and Fragrance, Domestic and Imported Liquor, Souvenirs
Additional Services Travel Agencies, ATM’s, Foreign Currency Exchange, Luggage Wrapping and Storage
Tijuana Airport Parking
Tijuana Airport has an on site parking garage with long term parking available. At the time of this writing the cost for parking was $23 for the first day and $13 a day after that (click here for current rates). For example, Tijuana Airport Parking for one week would cost about $101 (compare to $35 for 7 days of parking in our lot). In the interest of saving time and money, many travelers choose to park on the US side of the border, walk across and take a taxi to the airport. When you factor in the wait times crossing the border (1 to 4 hours) the savings can be considerable.
