US preclearance now available to Etihad passengers from Abu Dhabi

MANILA, Philippines—Passengers of the Etihad Airways can now secure a preclearance at the Abu Dhabi Airport before they arrive in the United States.

According to Etihad Airways, the US preclearance at Abu Dhabi is now open for flight EY103 to New York JFK which conveniently connects with inbound services from Manila, Philippines.

The new early​ morning US preclearance operation complements the mid-morning one which caters to Etihad Airways passengers on flights to Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Washington D.C., who all proceed through the facility.

“We’re delighted that all air travelers flying to the United States from Abu Dhabi will enjoy the benefits that US customs and immigration preclearance offers,” Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ chief commercial officer, said in statement.

“Since its opening in January last year, the US preclearance has been extremely popular with air travelers, particularly those from the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East region. More than 325,000 people have passed through the facility, arriving in the United States as domestic passengers,” Baumgartner added.

Etihad Airways said the preclearance process provided passengers with the 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.

This would avoid long queues on arrival, it said.

“Another key benefit of US preclearance is that baggage security screening meets United States TSA security standards, allowing air travelers who connect onto a US domestic flight to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination,” Etihad said.

US preclearance at Abu Dhabi Airport is the only one of its kind in the Middle East, which 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 program (VWP) international travelers, by providing an automated process through US preclearance’s primary inspection area,” Etihad said.