San Diego's Dual Airport System: Why Two Airports?

San Diego is served by two international airports: San Diego International Airport (also known as Lindbergh Field), and Tijuana International Airport (also known as General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport). San Diego International Airport is located just 3 miles from downtown San Diego, while Tijuana International Airport is 22 miles away, across the Mexican border. In addition to these, there are several other airports and military airfields in the San Diego area, including McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, and Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, located 6 miles north of San Diego's central business district.

San Diego International Airport

The airport is served by 17 major and commuter airlines, including nonstop flights from Mexico, Canada, Japan, and the UK. It features two terminals and 51 gates. Terminal 1 has gates 1-18 and Terminal 2 has gates 20-51. Terminal 1 is currently undergoing construction work, with a brand-new terminal expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

The airport offers a range of amenities and services for travellers, including gourmet food and drink options, free Wi-Fi, bicycle lockers, and lactation rooms. It is easily accessible by public transportation, with the San Diego Flyer providing a shuttle service between the airport and the Old Town Transit Center, where travellers can connect to other forms of transportation.

Tijuana International Airport

The airport has a control tower, a parallel taxiway, and a food court. It provides four baggage claim carousels, duty-free facilities, taxis, rental cars, and buses in the Arrivals and Departures areas. Additionally, there is a parking area available for those who prefer to drive to the airport. Car rental services are offered by well-known companies such as Avis, Budget, Europcar, Firefly, Hertz, Mex, and National.

McClellan-Palomar Airport

San Diego has two international airports serving the area: San Diego International Airport and Tijuana International Airport. However, there is another airport in the region, the McClellan-Palomar Airport, which is a public airport located three miles southeast of Carlsbad in San Diego County, California. The airport is named for Gerald McClellan, an aviator and civic leader in San Diego's North County area.

The airport is popular due to its proximity to businesses and recreational spots. Major corporations and world-class resorts are just minutes away from McClellan-Palomar. The airport is also close to some of the finest beaches in San Diego County, offering year-round balmy weather and beautiful ocean waters for surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers. Oceanside Harbor, with its shops, yachts, and fishing boats, is also a pleasant nearby attraction.

Several airlines operate at McClellan-Palomar Airport, including JSX, Advanced Air, and American Airlines, which began servicing flights in February 2025. The airport has also been served by United Express, Wings West Airlines, WestAir Airlines, America West Express, and more.

Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport

San Diego is served by two international airports: San Diego International Airport and Tijuana International Airport. However, there are several other airports and airfields in the San Diego area. One of these is the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, located six miles north of San Diego's central business district.

In April 2021, the airport completed a $10 million upgrade that included six new hangars, a fueling facility for private jets and propeller planes, and a new two-story, 9,000-square-foot building containing a flight school and an executive lounge for business travelers. The airport's contact details are available on the official website of the City of San Diego, along with contact information for various aviation companies that operate from the airport.

The airport has been the site of several crashes over the years. In 1978, a Cessna 172 took off from Montgomery Field and collided with a Boeing 727 during its descent to Lindbergh Field, resulting in the disintegration of the Cessna and the crash of Flight 182. In 1983, a Piper 601P crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all five people on board. Later that year, a Beech 56TC collided with power lines while landing, killing all four people on board. More recently, in 2020, a Great Lakes Sport Trainer crashed shortly after takeoff, and in 2021, a Dassault Falcon 900EX overran the runway after a rejected takeoff.

Brown Field Municipal Airport

In 1943, the US Navy took over the airfield and renamed it Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Otay Mesa, and later that year, it was renamed NAAS Brown Field in honour of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. The Navy decommissioned the airfield in 1946 and turned it over to San Diego County, who rented out portions of the base for various uses, including a chicken farm and Chula Vista High School. However, due to increased military activity from the Korean War and the Cold War, the Navy reopened the airfield in 1951 as NALF Brown Field, a naval auxiliary landing field.

In 1954, Brown Field was recommissioned and redesignated as a Naval Auxiliary Air Station, providing facilities and support for regular operations of fleet aircraft, missile programs, and field carrier landing practice. The base was home to various squadrons, including utility, anti-submarine warfare, and fleet aircraft service squadrons, as well as a Regulus air missile unit. In 1962, the Navy transferred ownership of Brown Field to the City of San Diego, with the condition that it remain a public airport. During the mid-to-late 1960s, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), a San Diego-based airline, trained its pilots at Brown Field using various aircraft types. PSA also had a contract to train Lufthansa pilots, which later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1970.

Today, Brown Field Municipal Airport is a busy general aviation airport, serving a variety of aircraft, including private, corporate, charter, air ambulance, law enforcement, fire rescue, flight training, cargo, skydiving, and airships. It is classified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a reliever airport for San Diego International Airport, helping to reduce delays due to air traffic congestion. The airport's main runway is 7,972 feet long, and it is sometimes staffed by US Customs and Border Protection upon the request of incoming pilots. Development plans for the airport have been announced, including a new FBO terminal building, individual airplane hangars, and the potential addition of retail and industrial buildings.

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