Airports fail to get pre-clearance gains

TRANSPORT Minister Leo Varadkar has admitted the hype that accompanied the introduction of pre-clearance facilities at Dublin and Shannon airports has not delivered additional business.

Pre-clearance for passengers travelling to the US was introduced in Shannon in 2009 and Dublin last year.

At the opening of the facilities at Shannon in August 2009, then airport director Martin Moroney said: “This is an historic day and, in three years’ time, this will be a very busy airport based on pre-clearance.