ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi and US customs authority have all set to give early customs clearance to all US-bound passengers flying from Abu Dhabi because they can get their US Customs and Immigration pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi International Airport in just 60 seconds.
These new kiosks enable passengers to submit their travel documents, biometric data and customs declaration prior to speaking to a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. This increases efficiency by off-loading work from the immigration counters to the kiosks.
Richard Hill, Etihad Airways’ Chief Operations Officer, said: “Since its opening in January last year, US pre-clearance has been extremely popular with passengers flying from Abu Dhabi to the United States where they arrive as domestic passengers. The process has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of automated passport control kiosks which allow passengers to pass through border controls quickly.”
US pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi Airport is the only one of its kind in the Middle East, and the UAE’s capital is one of a small group of airports around the world to offer passengers pre-clearance into the US.