Gerlach Wants to Ground Customs Pre-Clearance at One Airport

Pennsylvania Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) is coming out against an Obama Administration plan to build a pre-flight customs clearing area for U.S. Citizens returning from the one Middle East airport.

The proposal would allow passengers to clear U.S. Customs oversea before taking a flight to a domestic airport like Philadelphia.  Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would create a Customs Pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport.  Right now, however, the only airline that currently flies between the United States and Abu Dhabi is Etihad, a state-owned and -subsidized carrier. Legislation sponsor Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA7) says "a  preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi will incentivize passengers to route themselves through Abu Dhabi on Etihad rather than routes served by U.S. carriers."

Gerlach, Meehan, Philadelphia Congressman Bob Brady (R-PA1) will join pilots and flight attendants for a news conference Wednesday at Philadelphia International Airport to talk about a bill that would ban the construction in Abu Dhabi.

Here's the announcement released by Congressman Meehan's office:

Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) will join the other House members and the leadership of national airline industry organizations at Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday for a media event in support of legislation that would prevent the creation of a Customs Pre-clearance facility in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi facility would unfairly favor a foreign state-owned airline at the expense of U.S. domestic carriers.

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would create a Customs Pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport. A pre-clearance facility allows passengers to clear U.S. customs at their point of origin and avoid lines at domestic airports such as Philadelphia.

The only airline that currently flies between the United States and Abu Dhabi is Etihad, a state-owned and -subsidized carrier. A preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi will incentivize passengers to route themselves through Abu Dhabi on Etihad rather than routes served by U.S. carriers.

Congressman Meehan has introduced bipartisan legislation with more than 120 co-sponsors that prevents the creation of a facility in Abu Dhabi.