San Diego International Airport Expansion Plans
San Diego finally figured out how to meet the needs of the expanding air travel market. Crowding and cramping at downtown San Diego International Airport may soon be ameliorated by a private pedestrian bridge from Tijuana.
An innovative approach to an intractable problem, San Diego airport may send its passengers to Mexico. One commenter nailed it in the Wall Street Journal announcement. He said, “Only in Obama’s America would you build a fence along the border, then a bridge to get over it.”
It’s simple. Here’s how it would work: San Diego flights would depart and arrive at Tijuana Airport, where passengers would walk across the international border on the pedestrian bridge. San Diego passengers would pass through Mexico or U.S. Customs on either side. San Diego International Airport itself would have no involvement in the project.
Remarkably, the plan is working, although not a done deal. Both U.S. and Mexico governments have settled permitting and eco obstacles. Financing remains an issue as does the U.S. insistence that the private facility be staffed by public workers from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
The benefits for passengers include cheaper flights from Tijuana than from the U.S., more direct flights to interior Mexico, and a big time saver for passengers crossing the international border.
If flying a commercial Mexican airline and a required presence in Tijuana scare you, flights depart and land a mere two hours away at LAX. Los Angeles, however, has its own brand of domestic airport inconveniences including horrendous traffic jams, parking problems, challenges in getting to your flight on time, not to mention accommodating 64 million other passengers besides you per year. Talk about crowding!
Although the pedestrian bridge concept has its issues, private entrepreneurs work to invent creative solutions to problems created by government restrictions. �¡Bienvenido a M�©xico!
