ABU DHABI: The passengers going on all Etihad Airways to America will soon be given the right to clear US Customs and Border checkpoints before boarding the plane, which will increase the service’s availability on the mid morning flights to airports in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airline’s chief commercial officer, said: “Since its opening in January last year, the US pre-clearance [facility] has been extremely popular with air travellers, particularly those from the Indian subcontinent and Middle East region. 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 all required checks, including US customs, immigration and security, in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight to the US, and therefore avoiding queues on arrival.
The baggage security screening meets United States Transport Security Administration standards, allowing air travellers who connect onto a US domestic flight to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination.
The clearance facility in Abu Dhabi is the only in the Middle East. There are about 20 others across the world, in places such as Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean.
