Crossborder facility at Tijuana airport

Mexico

The Crossborder Facility at the Tijuana airport represents an innovative international connectivity solution, facilitated by the IDOM team. Located just 60 meters from the U.S.-Mexico border, Tijuana Airport offered a unique opportunity to improve passenger flow between the two countries. While the San Diego Airport was suffering from congestion, the Tijuana Airport was operating at 60% capacity, which prompted the creation of an infrastructure that would connect the two points in a direct, safe, modern and efficient manner, optimizing regional mobility and unlocking new economic potential for both sides of the border.

Thanks to IDOM’s leadership and experience in the design and management of airport infrastructure, in 2010 a presidential permit was granted in the United States to build, maintain and operate the San Diego–Tijuana Airport Crossborder Facility, also known as the Cross Border Xpress (CBX). This closed pedestrian bridge, exclusively for air-ticketed passengers, allows crossing the border in an average of 15 minutes, drastically reducing waiting times that previously could exceed three hours, especially during peak seasons and holidays.

The building, conceived by IDOM as a linear volume articulated in two pieces joined by a homogeneous façade, directly connects the Tijuana terminal with the arrival area of the bridge in San Diego, closing an old parking lot. The design prioritizes functionality, security and user experience, integrating immigration and customs controls at both ends, with clearly differentiated flows and intuitive circulation paths for travelers and airport staff.

Since its opening, the Crossborder Facility at Tijuana Airport (CBX) has transformed cross-border mobility, increasing the number of passengers at the Tijuana airport and fostering economic development in the region. In addition, it has been internationally recognized for its innovation in passenger experience and has driven new air routes and complementary projects such as hotels, commercial zones, logistics services and business infrastructure in Otay Mesa and surrounding areas.

Special Airport Systems