YQB U.S. Customs Preclearance Facility Takes a New Stride Forward

The U.S. customs preclearance opportunity has taken a major step forward with the United States Congress adopting a bill that will facilitate its implementation.

This critical step results from the March 10, meeting between American President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when they "committed to make our borders more open and more secure", notably by expanding preclearance at Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City.

The U.S. customs preclearance facility project enjoys massive support in the region, with 95 percent favorability. The facility alone will reap an economic windfall in excess of $75 million a year.

"This investment fits perfectly with Aéroport de Québec inc's strategy of many years of giving the passenger top priority, and to have the right infrastructure to meet ever growing demand. This approach has been particularly successful, rewarding the organization with unprecedented growth going from 643,000 passengers in 2001 to 1.6 million in 2015," said President and CEO Gaëtan Gagné.

Talks will be ongoing over the coming months between Aéroport de Québec inc. and the Canadian and American authorities to finalize the agreements and pave the way to complete and deploy this major project and make it a resounding success for passengers from the Greater Quebec City region and Eastern Quebec.