NEW YORK: The future U.S. Customs and Border Protection clearing center at Key West International Airport will take a step forward in 2016.
The Monroe County Commission approved a $1,312,500 contract with Miami-based OAC Action Construction Corp. at its Dec. 9 meeting to expand the airport’s future customs facility.
Monroe County Director of Airports Don DeGraw said the expansion will add 2,000 square feet of space to the current 10,000 square feet. Construction is scheduled to start in February.
“The primary purpose is for additional passenger queuing,” he said.
The customs area averages about 10 passengers an hour. The goal is to increase number to 70 an hour.
There are three sources of funding: The airport’s own operating funds, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The process of designating Key West International Airport an international point of entry began in 2009 with a request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Following that was a three-phase, two-year, $2.25 million project to have the airport reclassified as a federal inspection station.
It hasn’t been classified that yet. The only Customs port of entry is at 301 Simonton St.
The customs expansion comes on the heels of the U.S. State Department’s announcement on Wednesday that commercial airline service will be restored between the U.S. and Cuba.
It continues the thawing process with the communist country. President Obama and Cuba President Raul Castro announced last December that the two countries were re-establishing diplomatic ties after half a century.
Those who want to travel to Cuba no longer need a specific federal license as long as they meet criteria under one of 12 federal categories, including family visits, humanitarian projects and religious activities.
Traveling there for tourism remains banned but the government has to way to enforce that since travelers could maintain they went to Cuba under one of the 12 reasons allowed.
DeGraw said an expanded customs area help with the potential for a commercial airline to go from Key West to Cuba.
“That’s what we’re moving for,” he said. “We want to be able to offer that service to larger aircrafts.”
