Crossing from the Tijuana International Airport to the U.S.-Mexico border is literally a few steps away with the addition of a new purple pedestrian bridge between two terminals linking the airport to the border.
Passengers first enter a courtyard with ticket counters and kiosks. Ticketed passengers must carry their luggage across a bridge and go through customs and border protection.
South County Economic Development Council President and CEO Cindy Gompper Graves said the organization came up with the concept of building a connecting terminal about 15 years ago to increase the South Bay’s binational relationship with Tijuana.
“If we’re truly a binational region and you want to be a self- sustaining binational region, what you have to do is look at your assets and your concerns and try to marry those within your own region.” she said. “So we have a concern that we’re running out of air travel capacity and the answer was right on the other side of the border.”
The South County Economic Development Council promotes education and encourages economic development in South County.
The airport terminal opened Dec. 9 to much fanfare with free admission its first week. The cost for a ticket is $18. It is estimated that 200 million people a year will cross the bridge.
The cross border terminal is a $120 million private venture. The private firm has a contract with Customs and Border Protection to inspect those coming into the United States because it is a new port of entry, Gompper Graves said.
Gompper Graves said one way the terminal will increase business for both regions is by attracting foreign investment. Gompper Graves said when talking to companies about growing or locating their companies in the South Bay, one of the things she will tell them is they will have easy access to the countries on the other side of the Pacific Rim as well as other parts of Mexico via the terminal.
National City Mayor Ron Morrison said the terminal would increase the number of businesses coming to National City.
“I think it’s going to be a (financial) boom for South County, there is no doubt about that,” he said. “Given the opportunity now for international travel into Mexico I think it is going to be huge.”
Gompper Graves said another benefit with the terminal is it will increase air travel capacity for a binational region. Additionally, the terminal will work as an investment magnate for companies looking to invest in South County that may be from a different country. Lastly, she said, it works as improving the quality of life for residents who don’t have to drive as far to do air travel and can access more areas with having easier access through Tijuana.
