AQW 11758/22-27

Mr Matthew O'Toole
Social Democratic and Labour Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 10/05/2024
Answered On Date: 20/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy for her assessment of the proposed policy of securing United States of America immigration pre-clearance services at Belfast International Airport.

Answer:

As civil aviation is a reserved matter, my officials have explored with the Department for Transport (DfT) the possibility of extending pre-clearance services to the North of Ireland. They advised that the decision on whether to operate such facilities at airports overseas ultimately rests with the US authorities.

The British government has committed to entering into exploratory talks with the United States Administration on the options for introducing pre-clearance checks on customs and immigration for passengers travelling on direct flights from Belfast International Airport to destinations in the USA.