DUBAI: Passengers traveling from the UAE to Washington D.C. no longer have to wait in long US Customs lines because of a new pre-clearance facility in Abu Dhabi’s airport.
US Embassy spokesman Jeffrey Ladenson said the first flight using the US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance inspection took off on Friday from Abu Dhabi to Washington-Dulles airport.
The US has pre-clearance passenger facilities throughout Canada, in four Caribbean locations and Ireland.
The new facility in Abu Dhabi is the Middle East’s first.
The agreement has angered some US lawmakers and the Air Line Pilots Association.
They say it gives competitive advantage to Etihad, over US airlines, which don’t fly between Abu Dhabi and the US.
US Customs passenger facility opens in Abu Dhabi
US Customs passenger facility opens in Abu Dhabi
