Jorge Meraz: Hey, folks, on this episode of "Crossing South" we go behind the scenes at the Cross Border Express.

A unique, private binational bridge that lets you walk across the border straight into Tijuana's airport.

Then we get an exclusive all-access private tour inside what most travelers never get to see coming to you right now.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Jorge: Folks, we find ourselves on the U.S.

side of the Mexican border.

And behind me you see that acronym CBX.

Binational is a term that's thrown around a lot of times as hyperbole as maybe aspirational, but a few times it's actually an actual binational effort.

This thing is unique worldwide.

And we're gonna have it explained to us right now by the man that's next to me, which is my namesake, mi tocayo.

Jorge, right?

Jorge Goytortua: Jorge Goytortua.

Jorge: Jorge Goytortua, CBX.

First of all, is there anything like this anywhere else in the world?

Jorge G.: No, reality, there is not.

There was an airport in Europe that's similar.

There was one wrong way, but two different terminals, France and Swiss, but nothing like this.

This is very unique given the proximity of Tijuana International Airport to the border, which is just 100 meters 390 feet separation, so, unique, unique in the world.

Jorge: If you guys don't know what this is, this is literally a bridge that goes between an international border from this terminal, crosses the border, literally, the wall and goes into the Tijuana International Airport.

Jorge G.: Correct and here today we're in that CBX terminal.

The right way probably to say what is CBX is this is the Tijuana International Airport terminal in San Diego.

Jorge: Okay, it's an extension.

Jorge G.: It's an extension.

It's a secondary airport of Southern California, not only San Diego, because the market that we serve goes more beyond San Diego.

Many of our users coming from Great L.A.

area, right, given that number of flights that they can connect here, the benefits of the cost of their travel.

So, yeah, as you say, this is a true binational example of innovation and collaboration and we're very fortunate that has become really a symbol of that in just ten years since we started.

Jorge: Amazing, Jorge.

Jorge G.: From those 4.8 million users that Tijuana Airport has in 2015, this year they're ending up with 13.2 million users.

So, the traffic has explode.

Jorge: The increase has been significant.

Jorge G.: Just envision this.

Ten years ago, more than ten years ago, a group of businessmen went to the U.S.

government and the Mexican government and say, "Well, we have this idea.

We want to connect better our region.

Give us a permit to operate a private border, right, which is public, right, border crossing-- Jorge: Just to hear the concept of private border is so amazing-- Jorge G.: Exactly, can you imagine the first reaction of everyone is like, are you guys crazy, right?

And when they put together this business plan and say what would be the benefit for our community, I mean immediately buy it and after a few years of lobbying, and presenting the business case, and making sure that the authorities of both countries were comfortable with this concept, we got a presidential permit in 2012 and we opened in 2015.

Jorge: So, like, just logistically, somebody in Mexico, be it a Mexican tourist or an American tourist, has a ticket from Cancun to Tijuana?

Jorge G.: Correct.

Jorge: They can use that ticket to cross to San Diego through CBX?

Jorge G.: Correct, you can purchase your CBX ticket within the airline.

Yeah, you have to purchase a-- Jorge: You have to pay for it.

Jorge G.: You have to pay for this service-- Jorge: A ticket alone will get you across.

Jorge G.: Right, correct, right.

So, but you can purchase with your airline, right?

Actually, we do have IATA code, right, with make CBX as a destination.

So, you book directly.

Jorge: You book directly to CBX?

Jorge G.: To San Diego CBX, right, with the airline and that's it, right?

Jorge: So, somebody can literally buy a ticket to CBX San Diego.

Jorge G.: Correct.

Jorge: And they'll fly to Tijuana.

Jorge G.: Correct.

Jorge: And they can cross.

Jorge G.: Right, land in Tijuana and cross.

From the time that you pick up your luggage in Tijuana then you are right here on the street of San Diego.

The average crossing is 18 minutes only.

Jorge: Oh man.

We've covered how to cross into the U.S., but now for our U.S.

audiences, how can they make use of CBX?

Jorge G.: Seventy-five percent of our users are U.S.

citizens, U.S.

residents.

They purchase their flight to Cancun, right?

But the origin is San Diego CBX so it's very similar.

It's just you just book with the airline originating in CBX, right, to your final destination Cancun, Los Cabos, Vallarta, Mazatlan.

All beaches are connected now through CBX.

If you decided to just purchase your airline ticket in Tijuana to any of these destinations, you can still purchase your CBX Pass on our website, app, or at the kiosk here at the terminals.

We have brought an incredible transportation network.

We have almost 50 cities served by bus to CBX.

Jorge: Oh, really?

Jorge G.: Yeah, so it's an incredible, we have-- Jorge: You have buses coming-- Jorge G.: Twelve daily frequencies to L.A.. basically connecting to different points in L.A.

So, again it's a win-win for everyone.

This project has really stimulate the market, bring new audiences, contribute to taxes to the U.S.

and Mexico, and really impact the community people if they wanna fly out of Tijuana.

So, they can start here and your flight from Tijuana to your destination has to be within 24 hours.

So, CBX users can take their flight within 24 hours.

So, they can leave the airport if they wanted to go to any of your recommendations.

But basically, the people returning to the U.S., the cross has to be immediately, yeah.

Jorge: For such a unique thing, is there any, you know, comments from U.S.

lawmakers, anyone going like, what did we do down there?

Jorge G.: How do we replicate this?

That's the kind of comments, right?

Again, everyone is happy.

Jorge: Can we do it again somewhere else?

Jorge G.: Exactly, how can we replicate this out?

Jorge: Canada, other parts of Mexico.

Jorge G.: Other borders, right, for pedestrians, right, in other borders.

So, that's the kind of comment.

This is another option and probably the best option for people to travel to Mexico, right, and to China because there's now flights to China, Beijing and Shenzhen.

So, there is six weekly flights to China today, right, so-- Jorge: I wanted to see for myself just how efficient the crossing experience is.

So, I decided to get a ticket and go through the gauntlet, go through the process to see just how a traveler will experience this binational facility.

This is the bridge, guys.

We are floating now between two lands.

This is the U.S.

side.

At some point you crossed the border, right?

This is crazy.

This is certainly a way to cross south on your way to somewhere, you know, in Mexico, Latin America, Asia, wherever Tijuana International flights go from, you got a 24-hour period where you can do the things we do on the show.

You go to a Taco stand, visit some place in Tijuana, and then come back and still take your flight.

That's the boundary, folks.

It's quite the accomplishment to have made this a reality.

So, I wanted to make full use of this unique spot.

And now that I'm in Mexico, different day.

We are going to get a tour of the Mexican side of this whole operation.

And the person that will guide us on this adventure on this side of the trek will be my friend here, Carlos Salgado.

How you doing, my friend?

Carlos Salgado: I'm good and you?

Jorge: Nice to meet you, Carlos.

Carlos: Welcome to Mexico.

You can see that it's a very easy way to come to the airport to take a flight from Tijuana Airport and go to actually 38 destinations right now from Tijuana Airport.

Our three main airlines here is Volaris, Viva, and Aeromexico.

And then also we have Mexicana that is the airline from the government, Mexican government.

Jorge: It's a state airline.

Oh, really?

Carlos: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jorge: So, what has been the experience on this side?

We've heard the experience on the U.S.

side.

Everyone loves, you know, what the operation has brought to the Tijuana airport.

How have you guys handled that growth?

Carlos: It was a very good push for Tijuana Airport, right?

Jorge: As the incentives.

Carlos: Like this happened like ten years ago, right?

Actually, in December it is going to be ten years that we opened CBX, right?

So, it was a big push for the Tijuana airport is like a two-digits growth from that, right?

Yeah, no, it's amazing.

Jorge: Did they make it a much more important airport than it was before?

Carlos: Yes, CBX helped us a lot to have more destinations.

more connectivity.

This is the vestibule just before the authority section, right?

Because here-- Jorge: Because you're traveling from the states to Mexico, this is like a waiting area right before you reach customs.

Carlos: Now, in the way that is happening, okay, if I need to travel to China, okay, you need to go through immigration customs, and then the checking area, security right now.

So, with this area, it's like you're going to be able to bypass the authorities, right?

So and to travel to China or internationally, right?

Jorge: That's kind of the way you're facilitating travel and making the traveler's life easier, right?

Carlos: Exactly.

Jorge: You're in transit, bypass customs because you're not going to Mexico.

So, an American coming over reaches this room, what do they have to do?

Carlos: If you are going to be over seven days in Mexico, okay, you need to process a permit to be that time in Mexico, right?

So, for that what we have here, what CBX also has here is this kiosk where you can process it because you can do it also online, right?

But if you didn't do it you can get here and to get that permit and to pay for it.

Jorge: Got you.

Carlos: Right?

Jorge: It's almost like a tourist visa for Mexico.

So, who will request that permit from the traveler?

Carlos: Immigration, actually.

Jorge: So, if they reach that point and they don't have it, they'll send them back here to get it?

Carlos: Yeah, exactly.

But if you are going to be less than seven days in Mexico, you don't need it, okay?

You will go through, but it will, you don't need to.

Jorge: They'll check your itinerary.

When are you coming back and like, got you.

Okay, so we cleared customs.

We can't record in there, so.

Carlos: And now you are in the checking area.

So, if you're going to check a bag, okay, you go to the counter and that's it, right?

Go to the airline that you're flying with and check your bag, Jorge: Okay, so you arrive to this area, where you got 24 hours to do whatever you want.

You can take a shuttle to Valle.

You can go anywhere in Baja, and as long as you come back two, three hours before your flight, you check your bags again out here and you've done it, right?

You've taken advantage of the region before you went to your final destination.

Carlos: Exactly.

Jorge: This airport really reminds me of airports, say, in Europe.

You guys did a really good job modernizing it.

Carlos: Oh, thank you very much, Jorge.

Jorge: Very nice.

The windows here, the openness, you get to see the planes, which is something before you really didn't get to see that much.

Carlos: We're always trying in our designs that you see the aircraft, right, the planes, because it's like it's amazing those machines, right?

So, it's like.

Jorge: For sure, it's part of the allure, part of the excitement you're traveling.

Carlos: So, if you're going to take a flight, you need to go through security to scan your boarding pass in these E gates that we have.

Go through security and go to your gate, and that's it.

Jorge: Got you.

Carlos: So, now that we went through security checkpoint, we are at the gate area, right?

So, here's the area that we have for you to wait your flight, right?

Jorge: This whole section is for people that have already checked their bags, already gone through security.

So, this area is free to roam.

What are we going to find over there?

Are there like-- Carlos: The gates.

Jorge: Little gates.

Carlos: And the shops.

Jorge: Waiting areas.

Carlos: Restaurants, right?

Jorge: Right.

Carlos: Everything that to make the passengers have a better experience, a comfortable experience right here, right?

Jorge: Do you have any like private lounges you can rent?

Carlos: Yes, actually, we have a VIP lounge, right?

So, you can go to that VIP lounge and to wait also for your flight there, right?

Jorge: VIP, huh?

See, anyone can claim that level of service.

So, I think I'm gonna test that.

[speaks foreign language] Anyway, as I was saying.

Carlos: You probably saw [crosstalk].

Jorge: Hey, she took it in stride, man.

She's like, of course, sir, right away.

So, the VIP area here costs $35 for about eight hours.

If you pay for it, if you have a membership card, it's three hours.

And this place fits 275 people.

Eso no es.

Ex-football teammate, Osos, right?

The Osos.

Instead of going through the normal security check area.

This is a VIP security check area, so you come in through here.

Folks, this used to be a small airport.

Not anymore.

And the expansion of services, terminals, destinations, and traffic is making it a significant player in Mexico.

In fact, as of right now, the airport is in the works of adding Europe and Canada as direct destinations.

Carlos: So, we are going to build another concourse like that in that area, right?

So, we are going to-- Jorge: It's gonna protrude like that too?

Carlos: Exactly, we call it also as a like a finger, right?

It's another finger, another concourse that is going to be another seven gates, right?

In the next eight years, we are going to build another runway, right?

Just at the south of the existing runway, just right there so we are going to even do increase even more capacity.

It's like.

Jorge: This is gonna become a very important airport internationally at one point.

Carlos: Actually, right now, Tijuana International Airport is the 5th busiest airport in Mexico, right?

Jorge: Are you foreseeing that it'll overtake other airports?

Carlos: I hope so, yeah.

Right now we are like 6,000 people, right?

Our staff working every day here to have a safe and efficient experience for all of you guys.

Jorge: Six thousand people.

Carlos: Yeah, 6,000 people.

You see some of them, right?

And but most of them you don't see them because they are like backstage, right?

Jorge: Behind-the-scenes.

Carlos: It's like, we have security, operations, maintenance, airlines, firefighters, right?

Jorge: So, I mean, in order to run an operation like this you've gotta have really capable people around you that fixes problems, self starters that resolve issues, get stuff done, right?

Carlos: Exactly, I have a fantastic team, right, that helps me every day, right?

Because as I mentioned to you, this is 24 hours.

Jorge: That means this guy has to be on call 24/7 and have drilled an infinite amount of contingencies with his staff.

It sounds to me like high stakes, a logistical nightmare if you don't run a tight ship.

But Carlos seems to have it all under calculated control.

Now, these guys are geniuses.

I mean, what do you wanna do?

Do you want to wait 195 minutes on the driving or 13-minute cross on the CBX?

Smart, smart, good motivator, for sure.

The safety of the traveler is of paramount importance to Carlos and his team.

So, we got to explore the tarmac of the airport and the emergency protocols they have in place.

They are leaving nothing to chance.

Even if this means thinking outside the box for effective safety solutions.

So, you're not gonna believe this, the airport has a special air force, a special bird of prey airport.

And these birds of prey, they're in charge of clearing the airspace from pigeons and any other birds that could run into a jet engine.

Amazing.

Remember that the birds, well, this is a smaller eagle, but an eagle has in its talents the strength of ten men.

The grip strength is that of ten adult males.

The willingness to use a classic or shall we say organic solution to tackle a modern problem shows the benefits of an open-minded organization.

This option can bring a cost efficient and effective solution to a real world challenge.

Well, I guess it's gonna be leg day, folks, because we're gonna climb the tower.

Control tower.

I made it.

I made it, guys.

How you doing?

You guys are the heroes up here, eh?

Hey, nice to meet you, guys.

We are at the Control tower Tijuana International Airport.

Tijuana tarmac, right there.

We got the CBX on this side.

You got San Diego on that side.

Erick, nice to meet you.

Erick Altamirano: Hi, nice to meet you.

Jorge: You're Eric.

You're the director of this tower?

Erick: Yes, I am.

Jorge: Very nice.

So, tell me, what kind of work are you guys doing?

Like, how many planes are you directing a day?

What's-- Erick: Actually this is a busy tower.

We have almost 260 planes daily.

Jorge: Really?

Erick: Yeah, the busiest towers are at the midnight.

Jorge: Really?

Erick: Yeah, we have three hours difference from the south side of the country, two hours with the center.

So, when we take off here from midnight, they will be arriving at 6 o'clock in the morning, 7 in the morning, so they can get the better of all the day.

Jorge: Got you.

I see that your controllers are very young.

Erick: Yes.

Jorge: So, it's very different than what I imagined, you know, in the movies you have old guys, you know, the controllers, right?

Erick: Well, it depends, it depends.

Right now we are getting more planes every year.

So, we are getting new personnel.

All the staff are coming outside from the school.

Jorge: Got you.

New graduates.

Erick: New graduates, yes.

Jorge: You gotta replace the older ones as they retire and so on.

Erick: Yeah, when they retire, they may exchange from cities or something like that.

They send new controllers almost all the time they are new from the school, just graduated.

The installations are from the airport, but all the services, equipments, radios, and receptors, radars all are from the federal government.

When they start the descent, or the ascent to an airport, you need a TRACON.

There's a guy that will be giving you instructions to descend and climb safely.

Jorge: Where are those guys?

Erick: On the first floor.

Jorge: Oh, okay, so you're coordinated with another department on the first floor?

Erick: Yes.

Jorge: Considering that you do a lot of work through radar like TRACON or even your radar up here, but what is the advantage of not just relying on radar and being up here?

Erick: Actually, that's our service.

Our service is visual.

Jorge: Oh really?

Erick: We must rely on the visual what we can see.

We must watch for the runway clear.

There's no vehicles, animals, people.

Jorge: So, that's why you have the binoculars?

You're looking, making sure the runway you're instructing a plane to come into is actually clear.

Erick: Yes, you can have debris.

You can have tumbleweeds.

When we have a lot of wind, the tumbleweed will be crossing the-- Jorge: That you will never detect.

Erick: Yeah, there's no equipment for that.

So, we must be surviving the runway.

And when we guarantee that the runway is clear, will we issue a clearance for takeoff or landing.

female: Skyway 215.

Runway 27 QNH 29 decimal 91 taxi via Delta Alpha Ultra runway 27.

Jorge: This is specialized language.

You know, as a kid, I would try to mimic the lingo from the radar operators in the movie "Top Gun."

So, this is pretty exciting to me.

I'm pretty stoked about this.

Salvador Guzman: Sky West 6455 runway 27 QNH 29 decimal 91 continue approach.

You're number 2 in a sequence traffic number 1 Airbus A321, 3 miles span up for runway 27.

Jorge: Super, super.

Salvador: So, what I'm telling the Sky West is he's number 2 in the sequence.

There is a traffic before which is, it was a 3:21.

Let's say Volaris or Viva.

That's the landing on runway 27.

These are departures.

We have the departures here.

Jorge: So, this is about to go.

Below the red line he's about to go.

Salvador: That's how I do it.

So, the system's telling me that we have out of Mexico 176 arriving.

This trip prints 30 minutes prior to the arrival.

Jorge: He's gonna do it right now.

Salvador: I need to look at the border.

No traffic, no traffic in there.

Everything's clear.

The runway is clear.

[speaks foreign language].

At this point, I cannot talk to the pilots because they are focused on their operation.

And at this point, they're gonna be calling Terminal and I got the Cessna, the little Cessna, school Cessna calling me.

Jorge: Oh, okay.

At what point do you have to call Batman with your red phone here?

Salvador: Those are the firefighters.

We don't have to call them.

Jorge: That's the firefighters.

Salvador: If something sudden we have this button right here.

Jorge: Oh, man.

Salvador: Bum.

And that's the alarm for them.

Jorge: Okay, an explosion suddenly happens.

Salvador: Something happens.

Hainan 3441 runway 27.

Wind 280 degrees at 10 knots, cleared for takeoff.

Airborne contact approach 120 decimal 3.

Jorge: Hainan 3441 runway 27.

Wind 280 degrees, 10 knots.

You are cleared for takeoff.

Airborne contact approach 120 point 3.

I'll be with you on your flight.

Salvador: That's great.

Jorge: Nice, Salvador, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I have a good teacher, you're a good teacher.

Salvador: Yeah, thank you.

Jorge: Folks, it was really cool to be here and get a full tour of the facilities, the TJ Airport, the CBX.

What a wonderful thing they've created here to facilitate travelers exploring Mexico and abroad.

So, now, we say goodbye, folks.

Hope to see you next time.

I got a flight to catch, so, see you in the next one.

Jorge: So, after going behind the scenes at one of the most unique border crossings in the world and getting a rare all access inside the ever growing Tijuana International Airport, we leave Tijuana with a whole new perspective on how connected these two worlds really are.

male: Jorge, stop.

Jorge: It's okay.

I'm a travel show host.

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