Tijuana
International Airport
The airport on the border. A 9,711 foot runway, Category 9 cover, 24 hour operations, and the Cross Border Xpress, a terminal bridge that puts passengers on foot in San Diego.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Tijuana at a glance
Tijuana carries the ICAO code MMTJ and the identifier TIJ. A single 9,711 foot runway at 490 feet elevation, directly on the United States border about eight kilometres east of downtown, with ICAO Category 9 fire cover.
It operates 24 hours and is the only airport in the world with a terminal bridge into another country, the Cross Border Xpress into San Diego.
The Bridge
Cross Border Xpress
The Cross Border Xpress, opened in December 2015, is a pedestrian bridge from Tijuana’s terminal across the border into a facility in Otay Mesa, San Diego, with US customs and immigration on the San Diego side. Downtown San Diego is about 25 minutes from there by road.
For a private arrival its use depends on the operator’s arrangement and is confirmed per flight. The principle is that Tijuana can function as a San Diego airport with a Mexican permit: an aircraft positioning within Mexico, or a Mexican itinerary, avoids a US entry. It is not a routine substitute for San Diego for US domestic traffic, and we say so.
Operating
Runway, permit and time zone
09/27 is 2,960 metres, about 9,711 feet, at 490 feet elevation with Category 9 fire cover. The airport operates 24 hours and private traffic clears through the FBO away from the main terminal.
Mexico requires foreign operators to hold a permit from AFAC. Charter operators use a Blanket Permit with the operator’s AOC validated by AFAC, which we plan at ten business days; since 1 January 2024 private operations file six-month single-entry authorisations. General aviation is restricted to the public-use airports AFAC lists, and every airport on this page is one of them.
Tijuana is on Pacific Time, UTC-8 in winter and UTC-7 in summer. Baja California is the one Mexican state that kept daylight saving after Mexico abolished it nationally in 2022, so that its border cities stay aligned with California.
History
Hard against the line
The airport opened in 1951 as Tijuana grew into Mexico’s busiest border city, and its position hard against the international line shaped it from the start.
It was privatised into the GAP group in 1998, and the Cross Border Xpress in 2015 turned the border from a constraint into the airport’s defining asset.
Nearby
Tijuana and the Mexico and Central America fields
Mexico is a permits market. Choose the airport by destination once the AFAC permit is in hand.
Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas at the other end of the Baja peninsula. Querétaro for the Bajío. Acapulco for the Pacific resorts. Cancún and Cozumel for the Caribbean. San José, Guanacaste and Limón for Costa Rica.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Tijuana, answered
Can private jets use Tijuana?
Yes. Tijuana has a 9,711 foot runway, ICAO Category 9 fire cover and customs on site, and it sits directly on the United States border. It is the only airport in the world with a terminal bridge into another country, the Cross Border Xpress, which connects the terminal to San Diego.
What is the Cross Border Xpress?
A pedestrian bridge from Tijuana's terminal across the border into a facility in San Diego, opened in December 2015. Ticketed passengers cross with US customs and immigration on the San Diego side. For a private arrival its use depends on the operator's arrangement, and we confirm it per flight; the principle is that Tijuana can function as a San Diego airport with a Mexican permit.
How long is the runway at Tijuana?
09/27 is 2,960 metres, about 9,711 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 490 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 9. The runway takes the whole of business aviation.
What permit does Mexico require?
Mexico requires foreign operators to hold a permit from AFAC. Charter operators use a Blanket Permit with the operator's AOC validated by AFAC, which we plan at ten business days; since 1 January 2024 private operations file six-month single-entry authorisations. General aviation is restricted to the public-use airports AFAC lists, and every airport on this page is one of them.
Why use Tijuana rather than San Diego?
Cost and Mexican routing. An aircraft positioning within Mexico, or a client whose itinerary is Mexican, avoids a US entry and its formalities. For a US-bound passenger the CBX bridge puts them in San Diego on foot. It is not a routine substitute for San Diego for US domestic traffic, and we say so.
Is ground handling mandatory at Tijuana?
Handling is arranged on every private flight for customs coordination. Jet A-1 is available.
What time zone is Tijuana in?
Pacific Time, UTC-8 in winter and UTC-7 in summer. Baja California is the one Mexican state that kept daylight saving after Mexico abolished it nationally in 2022, so that its border cities stay aligned with California.
How far is the airport from Tijuana and San Diego?
About eight kilometres east of downtown Tijuana, and the CBX bridge lands in Otay Mesa, San Diego, about 25 minutes from downtown San Diego by road.
Does Tijuana have a curfew?
No. Tijuana operates 24 hours and its late-night domestic traffic is heavy.
What is the history of Tijuana airport?
The airport opened in 1951 as Tijuana grew into Mexico's busiest border city, and its position hard against the international line shaped it from the start. It was privatised into the GAP group in 1998 and the Cross Border Xpress in 2015 turned the border from a constraint into the airport's defining asset.
Is Tijuana a busy airport?
Yes, among the ten busiest in Mexico, with heavy domestic traffic and the country's only route to China for many years. Private traffic clears through the FBO away from the main terminal.
Get Your Number
Request a Tijuana charter
Tell us whether the passengers end in Tijuana or San Diego. We file the AFAC permit inside the ten day window, arrange the FBO and customs, and confirm the CBX arrangement if San Diego is the destination.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.