14th November 2008

Minister Dempsey announces imminent introduction of full US Pre-Clearance facilities for Shannon and Dublin Airports

• Summer ‘09 Shannon Airport will be first European airport to fully pre clear US bound passengers
• Full pre clearance facilities at Shannon and Dublin Airports will save US bound passengers and airlines time and money

“This agreement presents Shannon and Dublin Airports with a unique opportunity to promote its Trans Atlantic facilities to airlines and passengers around Europe. Ireland now has the potential to become a major hub for trans Atlantic airlines in Europe.” – Minister Noel Dempsey


The Minister for Transport Mr Noel Dempsey, T.D. today visited Shannon airport to announce that early next week he will, on behalf of the Irish Government, sign an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the United States to introduce full pre-clearance facilities for U.S. bound passengers at Shannon and Dublin Airports.

Currently Shannon and Dublin only offer immigration clearance and passengers must queue to clear customs and agriculture inspection when they arrive in the US.

These pre-clearance facilities will be in place in Shannon airport by Summer 2009 and in Dublin airport in 2010. This will make Shannon and Dublin airports unique in Europe in offering such facilities to US bound passengers and airlines. Passengers departing from these airports will not have to undergo further time-consuming checks on arrival in any US airport.

Pre-clearance is the process whereby all U.S. inspection and clearance requirements (including full customs and immigration clearance) for passengers arriving into the U.S. are carried out in the departing airport.

Once these new facilities are in place US bound passengers out of Shannon and Dublin airports will be able to get full customs, US immigration and agriculture clearance before they leave Ireland.

Speaking today Minister Dempsey said; “This Inter-Governmental Agreement with the United States to introduce pre-clearance facilities for U.S. bound passengers will have major benefits for Ireland. The U.S. authorities have told us that they currently have no plans to extend pre-clearance elsewhere in Europe. This should give Ireland a comparative advantage in the highly competitive trans-Atlantic aviation sector.”

“Passengers from Shannon and Dublin airports will benefit from uninterrupted passage through US airports on arrival saving time and hassle. Trans Atlantic airlines will benefit from being able to fly into less congested and less expensive domestic terminals on arrival at U.S airports. This should lead to easier access to aircraft stands thereby minimising the time between touchdown and passengers disembarking. In the competitive field of aviation time means money for airline operators. This Agreement will help operators save valuable time.”

Speaking on the benefits that are likely to arise for Shannon airport and the Mid West region from the introduction of pre-clearance facilities Minister Dempsey added: “There are very significant commercial benefits to be reaped from the increase in traffic that will flow from these new facilities. These benefits will accrue not only to Shannon airport but also to the wider local economy. This Agreement, the first of its kind in Europe, presents very exciting marketing prospects for the Shannon Airport Authority at a particularly challenging time in the international aviation sector.”

The Inter-Governmental Agreement is due to be signed by Minister Dempsey and US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff early next week. It will provide for pre-clearance for scheduled and charter commercial airline flights to the US from Shannon and Dublin airports as well as for private aircraft flights to the U.S from Shannon airport.


Ends
Attachment: “What are the benefits of pre-clearance” (doc 32kb)