The Air
Line Pilots Association, Int'l calls on Congress to take a strong stand for the U.S. airline industry and tens of thousands of airline industry employees by overturning a harmful U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to establish a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
If Congress doesn’t act, U.S. taxpayer and CBP resources will hand Etihad
Airways, a state-backed foreign airline, a competitive advantage
over U.S. airlines, while at the same time making it more
difficult for U.S. airlines’ own passengers to clear customs.
ALPA strongly opposes the Abu Dhabi CBP site because:
- No U.S. carrier currently flies between Abu Dhabi and the United States, so only Etihad Airways would benefit.
- Long customs lines at airports are already hurting U.S. airlines.
- Passengers from Asia or Europe could opt to fly Etihad Airways to avoid long customs lines at U.S. airports, instead of booking on U.S. airlines.
ALPA supports CBP preclearance sites, but only when they benefit the U.S. economy and U.S. workers. A CBP facility at Abu Dhabi does not pass this test. ALPA calls on:
- DHS to abandon plans to open a preclearance facility in the UAE, or in any country where U.S. carriers do not do a majority of the flying.
- Congress to prevent DHS from using U.S. taxpayer money to provide an advantage to non-U.S. airlines or accepting independent third-party funding or reimbursement of facilities.
- U.S. government leaders to appropriately staff domestic
customs and immigration operations to reduce passenger wait
times.
- U.S. government leaders to adopt a transportation policy that advances the U.S. airline industry
as many foreign governments back their own.
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RESOURCES
Congressional Testimony
ALPA to Congress: Support U.S. Aviation Industry; Prohibit Funding for Abu Dhabi Preclearance Facility,
July 10, 2013
Opinion
Joint Op-Ed: DHS shouldn’t aid foreign over US airlines,
April 13, 2013
Congressional
Support
Senators speak out on Abu Dhabi pre-clearance facility, May 9, 2013
Over 150 Members write Administration on CBP Pre-Clearance Site in Abu Dhabi,
April 23, 2013
Press
Releases
ALPA Applauds Passage of Meehan Amendment to Halt Taxpayer Funding of Preclearance Facility in Abu Dhabi,
June 6, 2013
Delta MEC Opposes Plan for Abu Dhabi Preclearance Facility,
May 6, 2013
ALPA Hails House Proposal to Prevent Abu Dhabi Customs Preclearance Facility, May 15, 2013
ALPA Calls for Grounding of Abu Dhabi Preclearance Facility, April 16, 2013
ALPA Blasts Abu Dhabi Customs Preclearance Proposal, April 4, 2013
Airlines for America (A4A), Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l Urge Congress to Focus Customs and Immigration Resources on U.S. Gateways
, July 16, 2012 |
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