The three-strong flotilla had been due to sail on Friday from ports in Turkey with more than 5,000 tonnes of aid on board
Abu Dhabi - Air travellers on all Etihad Airways flights to the United States from this week will be able to experience the benefits of arriving in the US having pre- cleared US Customs and Border Protection at Abu Dhabi Airport.
From January 15, 2015 US preclearance will open for the early morning EY103 to New York JFK and EY183 to San Francisco flights, both of which conveniently connect with inbound services from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities in India and the Indian Subcontinent.
The new early morning US preclearance operation complements the mid-morning one which caters for Etihad Airways passengers on flights to Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Washington DC, who all proceed through the facility.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We’re delighted that from this Thursday all air travellers flying to the United States from Abu Dhabi will enjoy the benefits that US customs and immigration preclearance offers.
“Since its opening in January last year, the US preclearance has been extremely popular with air travellers, particularly those from the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East region. More than 325,000 people have passed through the facility, arriving in the US as domestic passengers.”
The pre-clearance process provides passengers with the unique opportunity to pass through all required checks including US customs, immigration and security conveniently while in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight to the US, enabling them to avoid queues on arrival.
Another key benefit of US preclearance is that baggage security screening meets US TSA security standards, allowing air travellers who connect onto a US domestic flight to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination.
US pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi Airport is the only one of its kind in the Middle East, and the Abu Dhabi is one of a small group of airports around the world to offer passengers preclearance into the US.
During its first 12 months of operation, the US preclearance in Abu Dhabi has improved the passenger experience through the introduction of automated passport control (APC) kiosks and greater numbers of officer processing desks.
The self-service APC kiosks expedite the US entry process for American, Canadian, and eligible visa waiver programme (VWP) international travellers, by providing an automated process through US preclearance’s primary inspection area.
The three-strong flotilla had been due to sail on Friday from ports in Turkey with more than 5,000 tonnes of aid on board
The quake occurred at 8.29pm UAE time
The Capitals posted their highest total in the tournament to set up a ten-run win over their gritty rivals
Shortly after receiving the call, the employee informed her superiors
Cross-border shelling has killed at least 70 civilians, including children, rescue workers and journalists
The hosts dominate with a total of 194 medals including 65 golds with Saudi in second place and Kuwait in third
Residents with any information have been urged to contact the concerned authority
Northeastern University in Boston says the action was taken after some protesters resorted to virulent anti-Semitic slurs