Get to Know Cross Border Xpress

Crossing the border doesn't have to be hard or tedious for travelers.

For those traveling in San Diego and looking to explore Mexico, Cross Border Xpress (CBX) should be on their radar.

We caught up with CBX CEO Jorge Goytortua to learn more about what his company can do for travelers.

TravelPulse: What does Cross-Border Xpress offer and how does it work?

It's a project that was made possible with private investment in public infrastructure. To give you an example, a passenger who wants to travel from Mexico to the United States, or the US to Mexico, they come to CBX, cross the bridge if you're traveling for instance to Mexico from the US, you cross the bridge and go to immigration and customs and you have special access to the boarding gate to board your flight to then arrive at your Mexican destination from a domestic environment. This alone is a competitive advantage of CBX, when you compare the experience to others where you arrive at other border destinations within Mexico and or the US, having to go through immigration and customs which could take more than an hour.

TP: So what are the benefits of this terminal and how does it differ from others at the US-Mexico border.

TP: How did the pandemic impact business and how are things recovering now?

Regarding the flow of Mexicans entering the US by land through CBX, because of the restrictions in place, we did not have the same recovery, but were very close. We're expecting to end the year with $2.8 million users, which is only 100,000 less passengers than we had in 2019. This is the result of team work between airlines and destinations. We have been mindful about not promoting travel, but airlines were doing a great job with health protocols. Our US based customers grew 30% from 2019, and that really drove our recovery in 2021. So this is very unique and no other airport in the world has had this kind or recovery.

TP: What are the current COVID-19 protocols travelers should be aware of CBX?

JG: We want to continue being responsible. In December we expect 400,000 passengers crossing with CBX and we are still sticking to our strict protocols. Number one is the face mask is mandatory, number two we have sanitary stations all over the terminal. When you are arriving to Mexico there is a temperature check, we are encouraging passengers to fill out their health questionnaire as well. We are not requiring passengers to have a negative COVID test, but are requiring passengers to have proof of vaccination, so these are the key things to keep our travelers safe. We have also invested on the expansion of the terminal, and just recently added 7,000 sq. ft. that allow us to have more physical space to keep the safe distance, and we continue to care for our passengers and employees' safety by following all the protocols.

TP: How does CBX work with travel advisors?

It's a safe, fast way to travel to Mexico, within Mexico, and back to the US. www.crossborderxpress.com