US immigration pre-clearance: Dublin Airport's rapid growth has been supported by enhanced US access

As the IATA 2016 AGM and World Air Transport Summit is being held in Dublin, the role of US immigration pre-clearance is a pertinent issue. As an early adopter of pre-clearance firstly Shannon then Dublin airports have been significant beneficiaries. There is more to their growth than that, but pre-clearance has provided a welcome tailwind in optimising Ireland's convenient geography and user friendly tax regimes for example, for US connections.

The US immigration pre-clearance arrangement organised by the US Customs and Border Protection Department is in the process of being extended from its initial scope of 15 airports worldwide.

Ten airports in nine countries have been selected, out of 25 that applied, and are now negotiating with their governments concerning implementation.