... several years back. It sits one mile north of the U.S./Mexico border, south of San Diego, and is one of two general aviation airports which the city operates. A major highway crossing nearby is continuously flowing with a flood of trans-border truck traffic. And, standing on the Brown Field ramp, one can see a control tower off in the distance. It’s the tower for Tijuana’s Rodriguez International Airport.Â
Since then, whenever the usual banter arises from discussions related to building a new airport in Southern California, I always recall my Brown Field experience. As I stood there then, I was struck by the notion that this is a perfect spot for constructing a dual-use international airport that could instantly solve the projected capacity issues at San Diego International.Â
This week, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority revealed that it is beginning a study to consider just that idea. According to the Authority, a "cross-border terminal" would allow passengers to park on the American side and enter the Tijuana airport through a dedicated walkway. Infrastructure Management Group was selected to perform a passenger demand study as a first step.Â
Good move. The FAA, in its recently updated FACT 2 study predicting future system capacity needs, identifies San Diego International as one of six U.S. airports that need to be monitored between 2007 and 2015.Â
These days we hear much about the changing airport environment and about looking at the business of airports in new ways. This is the type of out-of-the-box thinking that could prove the answer for at least one congested region.Â
Thanks for reading. jfi                    Â
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