American Airlines inaugurated its new route from Phoenix to Tijuana on Wednesday, February 15th.
The flight will depart daily at 11:15 (local time) from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), arriving in Tijuana at 11:42. The return flight will depart from TIJ at 12:22, landing in PHX at 14:42. This service will be operated with an Embraer E175.
The Mayor of Phoenix, Kate Gallego, stated, «Phoenix and Mexico share strong commercial and touristic connections, and this new direct route to Tijuana further strengthens our partnership.»
«We expect the new flight to generate 10 million dollars in economic impact each year and, ultimately, to assist us in our mission to diversify and strengthen Phoenix’s growing economy, particularly in the manufacturing industry,» she added.
For Tijuana, Phoenix is the only destination in the United States. The TIJ airport is one of the most connected in Mexico, providing routes to over 40 cities. This route represents the 14th destination in Mexico served by American Airlines from Phoenix Sky Harbor.
Aside from this first direct connection with the United States, the Tijuana airport already serves as a significant point of traffic from the country through the Cross Border Express, a terminal facilitating passenger crossings between the United States and Mexico via a bridge. Around 30% of the total passengers at the Tijuana airport pass through this point.
José María Giraldo, General Director of Operations for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean at American Airlines, expressed on his LinkedIn account: «Today, we mark a milestone by inaugurating the new non-stop route between Tijuana and the United States through our hub in Phoenix. Tijuana will now be connected to over 100 destinations and more than 250 daily flights, opening doors to travelers from around the world.»
