US Pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi
Back to Forum- This topic has 11 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 27 Jan 2014
at 14:11 by FirstTraveller.
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LuganoPirateParticipantJust read it’s now possible to pre-clear US immigration in Abu Dhabi. This must give a tremendous competitive advantage to Etihad and I wonder how EK and QR will react?
26 Jan 2014
at 16:52
johnsmith111222ParticipantPresumably, Congress enacted a bit of legislation that allowed pre-clearance in the UAE so it shouldn’t be a legislative issue that prevents EK doing so. Qatar (airline/nation) on the other hand would need to negotiate from scratch.
The competitive advantage may not however, be all it seems. At the moment you can get someone from a late running inbound to Dubai onto their connecting flight to the US. With pre-clearance, that buffer gets much bigger and the ability to connect those who are running late, smaller.
26 Jan 2014
at 19:24
LuganoPirateParticipantGood points JohnSmith, but I’m amazed they allow pre clearance anywhere. Why not use the money to beef up services back in the US and make it faster for everyone to clear on arrival?
26 Jan 2014
at 20:25
onajetplaneParticipantThis is such an interesting move. I regularly use the pre-clearance in Dublin and it is such a dream compared to landing in NYC (particularly in the summer months) when immigration lines can be dire. Seems like such a strange choice to pick Abu Dhabi but I guess there was likely also a huge financial incentive behind this.
26 Jan 2014
at 21:02
johnsmith111222ParticipantMy view LP is as onajetplane suggests, that this isn’t US money financing it but the UAE government so there are no benefits to be had at home.
Even if the US were funding this, a pre-clearance station has greater tangible benefits for travellers from across the ME and Asia than beefing up immigration in a single city.
If anything I’m surprised its taken so long to materialise near a part of the world from which the US is careful about admitting citizens as tourists. Having the ability to scrutinise an application at a processing point far from US soil may be of benefit both economically and politically.
26 Jan 2014
at 22:20
SimonS1ParticipantJohnSmith – it would seem the US Congress was actually opposed to it….
26 Jan 2014
at 22:27
johnsmith111222Participant59 Congressmen is enough to make a noise but not enough to prevent legislation from being passed, but point taken, some in the US had reservations.
26 Jan 2014
at 23:01
MartynSinclairParticipantPresume the USA border control team in Abu Dhabi are all armed, which was I believe the primary reason why pre clearance never happened in the UK..
26 Jan 2014
at 23:11
johnsmith111222ParticipantA lack of space too. Imagine how much BAA would want for space that they could easily turn into retail!
27 Jan 2014
at 00:21
PraktonParticipantEtihad wants the advantages in there ground because they are willing to finanace the cost and expenses for stationing US Immigration and Customs. They have the money so they are calling the shots but it has to pass by US government. The system can be misused as these arabs has the money and think they can buy everything. What would happen if another country wants and are not willing to finance? Will they be denied.We passengers pay a lot in taxes to visit the US and this money can be partly invested to increase the workforce for US Customs & Immigration in their territory.
27 Jan 2014
at 11:08
FirstTravellerParticipantprobably CBP officers on duty at AUH during winter time are the luckiest as opposed to the ones at the summer time.
27 Jan 2014
at 14:11 -
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