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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/193245
INDUSTRYNEWS Travel Leaders to Congress: Improve CBP Entry Process The U.S. Travel Association recently released a report detailing the severe economic consequences that arise from lengthy wait times experienced by millions of travelers in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) entry process, and proposed 20 policy changes to address the problem. The report found 2.7 million international travelers—about 9 percent of potential trips—avoid visiting the United States every year because of this problem. With each overseas traveler spending an average of nearly $4,500, that translates to $11.8 billion lost annually directly to travel industry businesses. The report finds that if reforms were in place to guarantee the primary inspection process did not exceed 30 minutes, the resulting surge in visitors would generate approximately $3.5 billion in positive economic impact and create 24,000 jobs. Policy adjustments identified by U.S. Travel and outlined in the report include: • Hiring 3,500 additional CBP officers as provided for in the Senate immigration bill (S. 744); • Staffing flexibility to ensure CBP's officers are allocated for maximum efficiency; • Implementing enhanced technology to alleviate pressure on CBP officer staffing; • Reducing peak wait times by 50 percent and processing each traveler within 30 minutes; and • Enhancing transparency to improve government and private-sector coordination. The comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate provides for an additional 3,500 CBP officers and calls for reducing average primary processing wait times at high-volume international airports by 50 percent. The bill also sets a goal of screening 80 percent of air passengers being processed at high-volume international airports in under 30 minutes by the end of Fiscal Year 2016. LONGEST WAIT TIMES (May 2013) AIRPORT JFK Internatonal Airport Miami Internatonal Airport Miami Internatonal Airport Dallas-Fort Worth Internatonal Airport Chicago O'Hare Internatonal Airport Orlando Internatonal Airport Orlando Internatonal Airport Houston Internatonal Airport Newark Liberty Internatonal Airport San Francisco Internatonal Airport TERMINAL/ CONCOURSE Terminal 4 North Concourse South Concourse Main Terminal Airside 1 Airside 4 Terminal B Terminal G AVERAGE WAIT TIME(MINUTES) 93.8 75.1 72.7 67 63.6 57.2 56.7 55.3 51.3 51.1 — Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection www.aviationpros.com/10777413 October 2013 airportbusiness 7