More Customs and Border Protection officers coming to Austin’s airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will soon get more help processing foreign passengers and inspecting cargo. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is set to receive four additional Customs and Border Protection officers by this fall. The announcement was made by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), who said the current 15 officers were inadequate to handle the increase in arrivals. Doggettt also noted that San Antonio International Airport uses 24 officers. Additional officers are expected to be recruited from outside the region. The airport has been designated as a large-hub category airport by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022, presenting challenges in managing international arrivals efficiently and securely. The international arrivals improvement project is almost completed with the design process.
gepubliceerd : 11 maanden geleden door Sarah Al-Shaikh in Travel
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will soon get more help processing foreign passengers and inspecting cargo.
Four additional Customs and Border Protection officers will be stationed at AUS by this fall. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) made the announcement on Monday.
Currently, Rep. Doggett said AUS has 15 officers, which he said isn’t enough to handle the increase in arrivals. For comparison, Doggett pointed out San Antonio International Airport utilizes 24 officers.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP officers do the following:
• inspect merchandise, agriculture, luggage and people coming into and out of the U.S.
• work with dogs to detect weapons and drugs
Doggett expects an additional four officers to come sometime next year if they can be recruited from outside the region.
“That’s a little more challenging. They can reallocate and move around people within this region,” Doggett said. “Now we need to reach out and see if we can get some people from out of state to come here and add to our workforce.”
Air traffic continues to grow at AUS. In 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration designated AUS as a large-hub category airport. According to a release from Doggett’s office, that’s presented challenges in managing more international arrivals efficiently and securely.
“With only fifteen officers stationed in AUS, passenger and air cargo are experiencing significant, ongoing daily delays. This greatly inconveniences travelers and impedes the efficient movement of goods, negatively impacting the economy,” the release said.
In a statement to KXAN, the airport said improving the experience for travelers coming on international flights is a top focus.
The airport said its international arrivals improvement project is almost done with the design process. The project will add 6,000 square feet of space to help passenger line up, as well as add two new baggage carousels.
AUS expects to break ground later this year and estimates construction to finish in 2025.