SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego County Airport Authority is showing interest in a cross-border terminal with Tijuana International Airport, it was reported Tuesday.

An authority board committee Monday recommended the agency look into possible Federal Aviation Administration funding to study some of the economic questions involved in the idea, which some say could relieve pressure on Lindbergh Field, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The move comes as the Airport Authority will ask voters in November to endorse the development of a civilian airport at the Marine Corps' Miramar Air Station to handle San Diego's long-term air transportation needs.

Strategic Planning Committee Chairman Paul Nieto said a cross-border terminal "is no way a solution to our issues" but that it could offer relief as passenger and cargo demands grow at Lindbergh Field, the newspaper reported.

Backers said both sides of the border would benefit if air travelers could park in Otay Mesa, then pass through a secure facility on the border to catch a flight, according to the Union-Tribune.

By one estimate, more than 300,000 travelers a year already drive across the border to use the Tijuana airport, according to the newspaper.

The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies, would eventually have to sign off on the cross-border concept. Gary Gallegos, executive director of the San Diego Association of Governments, said any approval process could take 10 years or more, the newspaper reported.

The FAA probably would not approve a study until later this year or early 2007, officials told the Union-Tribune.