BA passengers to bypass customs at JFK
[November 17th 2008]
Passengers flying on British Airways new business class service from London City airport will be able to avoid queues at customs and immigration when they arrive at New York JFK and speed straight through the airport.
In a groundbreaking development Shannon airport in the west of Ireland will be the first European airport to be granted pre-clearance facilities for transatlantic flights to the USA.
"The introduction of pre-clearance facilities at Shannon will mean customers on our business-class flights from London City to New York will be able to bypass the normal customs and immigration checks on arrival in the US,” explains British Airways commercial director, Robert Boyle.
"Many city workers will be able to get from desk to aircraft in as little as 30 minutes at London City. Now it will be more convenient than ever to travel from desk to desk from London City to New York, in unrivalled comfort and style," Boyle adds.
BA will launch the twice daily business class flights from London City airport to New York JFK in autumn 2009. Eastbound flights from JFK to London City airport will be non-stop.
Flights will be operated by an Airbus A318, the largest aircraft permitted to take off and land at London City airport. The service will be the first long haul route from the Docklands airport.
BA is offering a one-cabin business class service with 32 flat-bed seats. Passengers will be able to check in at the airport up to just 15 minutes before departure making the flights particularly attractive to business travellers in London and New York.
Two airlines which previously offered business class only flights between London and New York, Silverjet and MaxJet, have gone out of business this year so it will be interesting to see how much demand BA has for its new service.
BA already operates 10 flights a day between Heathrow and New York plus a new daily service from Gatwick to New York.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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