Dublin airport's existing Customs Pre-Clearance and Border Protection (CBP) for US bound passengers "currently experiences chronic congestion and requires immediate expansion".
That is according to planning documents lodged with daa’s planning application for an expanded CBP facility at Dublin airport to cater for the growing numbers of transatlantic passengers using Dublin airport.
Underlining the strain on the existing CBP facilities, planning consultants for daa, Coakley O’Neill have told Fingal County Council that the CBP overflow queuing system was required to be used five out of every seven days in the summer of 2022 and is projected to be required even more this summer.
They state that the overflow queuing system "is technically and logistically complex and cumbersome" and affects other parts of Pier 4 including the gates for arrivals and departures to non-US destinations and even affects the link between Pier 4 and the main T2 building itself".
Coakley O’Neill also said that the overflow queuing system "is inefficient and confusing for passengers with US bound and rest of world bound passengers frequently becoming concerned about getting through security to board their flights on time".
They said that the overflow queuing system "is also labour intensive"
The consultants state that 1.7m passengers are projected to use the CBP facility in 2023 which is a 13pc increase on the number of people who used the facility in 2022.
Coakley O’Neill said that "is is therefore the case that the current CBP facility does not have the capacity to cater for the existing passengers".
The planning report states that "passenger experience, as well as staff well being, will therefore undoubtedly be improved" by the proposed expanded CBP building.
Coakley O'Neill said that the proposed development "is undeniably needed to ensure the efficient, comfortable and safe operation of the CBP facility at Dublin airport".
The consultants further state that the scheme will strengthen the airport’s function as a national, regional and local economic driver within the context of the airport’s permitted capacity of 32m passengers per annum.
The CBP facilities at Dublin and Shannon airports allow US bound passengers to undertake all US immigration, customs and agriculture inspections at the airports prior to departure.
The CBP facilities at Dublin and Shannon airports gives the airports a competitive advantage over most other airports operating services to the US as passengers who clear pre-clearance at Dublin and Shannon airports are treated as domestic arrivals on arrival in the US, allowing them to avoid immigration queues upon arrival and pick up their bags and go.
