Customs and Border Protection has announced the expansion of their
Global Entry program. The program will be expanded to include four
additional airports throughout the month of March: Minneapolis – St.
Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minn. (03/5); Charlotte Douglas
International Airport, Charlotte, N. C. (03/12); Denver International
Airport, Denver, Colo. (03/19); and Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Airport, Phoenix, Ariz. (03/26). This expansion is connected to recent
initiatives to increase travel and tourism in the U.S., as well as
encourage job creation. Part of President Obama’s initiative,
established through Executive Order, included making the Global Entry
pilot program a permanent program.
Global Entry is now available in 24 airports in the U.S. and gives
pre-approved members access to a streamlined and automated way to avoid
the tedious nature of regular passport processing lines. Wait times for
people utilizing the program are reduced by over 70 percent; more than ¾
of travelers that use the Global Entry program are processed in under
five minutes.
