Tijuana International Airport, officially known as General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport and originally called Tijuana-Agua Caliente, is located in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. It is the busiest airport in the state of Baja California and one of the busiest in Mexico.
The airport was opened in 1930 and was initially a small airfield with a single runway. It was expanded in the 1940s and 1950s to accommodate the increasing traffic. In 1959, it received its current name in honor of General Abelardo L. Rodríguez, the first president of Mexico's National Autonomous University.
The airport code TIJ was determined in 1978 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The code was derived from the first letter of the city Tijuana and the first two letters of the airport's name – International.
Tijuana International Airport serves as a hub for several Mexican airlines and handles an average of 483 take-offs and landings a day. Airlines that serve the airport include Aeroméxico, Volaris, Interjet, Viva Aerobus, and Aeromar. It also provides international flights to the United States, Canada, and other countries in Latin America.
The airport is equipped with two runways, one of which is a parallel runway with a length of 3,092 meters and a width of 45 meters, and the other a crosswind runway of 2,743 meters and a width of 45 meters. It also has a modern passenger terminal with several restaurants, shops, and lounges, as well as a VIP lounge for first-class passengers.
Tijuana International Airport is an important gateway between Mexico and the United States, and it provides convenient access to Baja California, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. The airport is well-connected to the region and offers easy access to major cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It also serves as a hub for international business travelers and is a major cargo hub for the region.
In 2020, Tijuana International Airport handled a total of 4.5 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in Mexico. It currently offers an average of over 400 flights a day.
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