A total of 615,478 passengers used the US pre-clearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in 2015 to process their arrival documents before landing in the United States. Of these passengers, 106,851 started their journey from Abu Dhabi, while the remaining were transfer passengers who chose to transit through AUH in order to benefit from this unique facility. Operations at the US pre-clearance facility in AUH started in early 2014. Immigration, customs and security clearance procedures for arrival to the United States can be completed at AUH through the pre-clearance facility in Terminal 3. Passengers traveling to New York, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles on flights operated by the national carrier, Etihad Airways, can take advantage of this unique service, and avoid lengthy queues upon arrival in the US. The facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and one of the few worldwide. "Our vision is to become the world's leading airports group and we strive to achieve the highest standards in all that we do. By providing facilities such as this one, we are taking the passenger experience to the next level", said Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports. The implementation of the pre-clearance facility has brought about a number of key benefits, including the introduction of the most advanced baggage screening technology which meets United States TSA security standards, allowing air travellers who connect onto a US domestic flight to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination. The system is one of the latest airport technologies available, and highlights the importance of using enhanced software to ensure a smoother and more efficient passenger journey. Abu Dhabi Airports recently won the Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in the Joint Projects Category for the US pre-clearance facility. Commenting on this achievement Al Mansoori said: "We are proud to receive this award as it is recognition of our commitment to improving passenger experience and encouraging innovation. This demonstrates our dedication to Abu Dhabi government's drive to promote excellence. We believe that the facility has brought important benefits to our passengers and we would like to thank all our partners who were involved in delivering this capability, including Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Police and Immigration, and the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
