U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expanded its presence at the Boca Raton Airport in Florida this week, growing processing options for business aircraft operators returning from abroad.
The service came about from a mix of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Boca Raton Airport Authority (BRAA) funds, which came from aviation fuel taxes and airport property leases/fuel flow fees, respectively. As a result, CBP will now provide fee-based processing with pre-verified pilots coming home from abroad, allowing them to taxi directly to the 4,400 square foot CBP facility on the property.
“We appreciate the efforts of CBP, Boca Raton Airport management and others involved with building the new facility, which gives business aircraft operators an additional option for clearing Customs when flying into this region,” Sarah Wolf, NBAA senior manager of security and facilitation, said. “For aircraft operators based at Boca Raton, or for those with Boca Raton as their final destination, the facility improves safety by eliminating the need for an extra flight leg following a long international flight. NBAA members, the city of Boca Raton and the South Florida region, in general, will see the benefits of this new facility.”
The area is predicted to see 700 annual flights during the new facility’s operating hours. Wolf notes the whole South Florida region is one of the busiest for clearing incoming air traffic.