BRUSSELS AIRLINES PASSENGERS WILL BENEFIT FROM EXPANDED US ‘PRECLEARANCE’
(Posted 31st May 2015)
Negotiations are underway between the US Government through the Department of Homeland Security and several foreign countries’ airports, including Brussels, to implement a ‘pre-clearance’ modus operandum for passengers flying from there to the United States of America. Brussels Airlines flies daily from their home hub to New York and will tomorrow resume services to Washington DC, which will operate five times a week.
When, as is expected, the negotiations are successfully concluded, will all passengers travelling from the Eastern African gateways of Entebbe, Kigali, Bujumbura and Nairobi and with final destination USA, on arrival in Brussels undergo the full immigration and customs process ahead of their onward flights, conducted by US Immigration, Customs and Agriculture officers. When cleared to travel to the United States will they then be able to bypass the often long lines on arrival and enter the US via a domestic terminal, saving time and often the anxiety after a long flight from Africa via Europe to the States. For America in turn it will allow to have passengers cleared for entry before they board a flight to the US, and, in some cases, have passengers rejected, saving them the journey and the instant turnaround when they are sent back over whatever issues may have arisen, leading to the decision by US Immigration officers to deny them entry inspite of holding a Visa.
A local aviation source close to Brussels Airlines commented that once this measure has been put into place will the airline no doubt become an even greater travelers favourite considering the convenient one stop travel to the Big Apple and the US capital city.
