ABU DHABI: Passengers on all Etihad Airways flights to America will soon be able to clear US customs and border checks before boarding.
The US border post facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport will operate for the morning flights to New York and San Francisco.
The service is currently available on mid-morning flights to Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington.
Since the clearance service began a year ago it has been extremely popular, particularly with travellers from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, said Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s chief commercial officer.
“More than 325,000 people have passed through the facility, arriving in the United States as domestic passengers.”
The clearance process allows passengers to pass through US customs, immigration and security in Abu Dhabi before boarding a US-bound flight, therefore avoiding any queues on arrival.
The baggage security screening meets US Transport Security Administration standards, allowing air travellers who connect with a US domestic flight to have their bags checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination.
The Abu Dhabi clearance facility is the only one in the Middle East. There are about 20 others worldwide, including Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean.
