USA Pre-clearance facilities in the UK

[RailWonderer]

Heathrow East, ie the T2 extension, as planned (the extension, not pre clearance)

I assumed that if the third runway gets built in the north west the space north of Terminal 5 will become a set of satellite gates, i.e. Terminal 5D.

 

[Bald Rick]

I assumed that if the third runway gets built in the north west the space north of Terminal 5 will become a set of satellite gates, i.e. Terminal 5D.

Sort of. The plan is:

Expansion of T2 to the north, with two new satellite piers (T2C to the east, and T2D to the west, the other side of T3). Then a near doubling of T5, a small extension to the north, but also a substantial new building across Stanwelll Moor (T5X), with aprons and gates. There would also be a large satellite, T5XN to the north, between the existing northern runway and the new runway, that would be bigger than T4.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Heathrow East, ie the T2 extension, as planned (the extension, not pre clearance)

And when is that going to happen?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Nov 2024 ==

Sort of. The plan is:

Expansion of T2 to the north, with two new satellite piers (T2C to the east, and T2D to the west, the other side of T3). Then a near doubling of T5, a small extension to the north, but also a substantial new building across Stanwelll Moor (T5X), with aprons and gates. There would also be a large satellite, T5XN to the north, between the existing northern runway and the new runway, that would be bigger than T4.

Do you honestly believe the 3rd runway will get built in this climate?

 

[Bald Rick]

And when is that going to happen?

No idea. But there is a plan for it.

Do you honestly believe the 3rd runway will get built in this climate?

I think it‘s more likely than not.

 

[AlastairFraser]

No idea. But there is a plan for it.



I think it‘s more likely than not.

It seems more logical to build a preclearance building at another London airport, if it has to be the South East (perhaps Gatwick or Stansted). Building more terminal space and then another runway makes it very expensive and slow (even if that 3rd runway is for additional flights anyway), while Gatwick is already proceeding with an application for a second usable runway and I don't believe Stansted's existing runway is particularly full.

 

[Cross City]

Birmingham Airport would require a LOT of work to bring it up to any kind of standard.
Travelled through there recently and the place is a riot! Both departures and arrivals/immigration.

That's exactly what they're half way through right now.

 

[zero]

It seems more logical to build a preclearance building at another London airport, if it has to be the South East (perhaps Gatwick or Stansted). Building more terminal space and then another runway makes it very expensive and slow (even if that 3rd runway is for additional flights anyway), while Gatwick is already proceeding with an application for a second usable runway and I don't believe Stansted's existing runway is particularly full.

But the airports wouldn't be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. It only makes sense to build a facility if the airport thinks it will attract more passengers paying higher fares. Passengers are encouraged to go through early so they have fewer opportunities to spend money in the airport as well.

I don't travel to the US, but I doubt the majority of passengers who already have a preference for Heathrow would choose to fly from Gatwick or Stansted instead just because they had preclearance and Heathrow didn't. They might do so if flights were cheaper after the introduction of preclearance (compared to the current price differentials between the airports) but I don't think preclearance is going to make flights cheaper.

Also some US citizens prefer to avoid preclearance and non-Americans with Global Entry may also not see much advantage.

 

[Bald Rick]

I don't travel to the US, but I doubt the majority of passengers who already have a preference for Heathrow would choose to fly from Gatwick or Stansted instead just because they had preclearance and Heathrow didn't.

Especially as a good proportion of passengers on non-JFK US flights are transferring at Heathrow.

 

[AlastairFraser]

But the airports wouldn't be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. It only makes sense to build a facility if the airport thinks it will attract more passengers paying higher fares. Passengers are encouraged to go through early so they have fewer opportunities to spend money in the airport as well.

Of course they wouldn't, but one preclearance airport for the entirety of GB in a relatively central location has a lot of potential to attract a lot of travellers who want to avoid lengthly queues at the other end (particularly important for infrequent business travellers who are unlikely to have Global Entry).
With HS2 Phase 1 completed, travel from some parts of central London to Birmingham Interchange (projected at 38 minutes) for the airport could be quicker than travel to Heathrow, and then the immigration advantage would be undeniable.

 

[zero]

Of course they wouldn't, but one preclearance airport for the entirety of GB in a relatively central location has a lot of potential to attract a lot of travellers who want to avoid lengthly queues at the other end (particularly important for infrequent business travellers who are unlikely to have Global Entry).
With HS2 Phase 1 completed, travel from some parts of central London to Birmingham Interchange (projected at 38 minutes) for the airport could be quicker than travel to Heathrow, and then the immigration advantage would be undeniable.

Well yes, if you were coming from central London or somewhere with easier access to HS2 than a train line / road to Heathrow, but how much is a train ticket going to cost?

Perhaps preclearance at BHX might also attract some passengers who fly from MAN (and don't already travel on EI to preclear in Ireland), but I don't see many people except the desperate taking a train from Scotland to BHX; NCL maybe marginal.

As @Bald Rick has said there are also a lot of transit passengers. BA plus its joint venture partners AA/AY/IB are firmly ensconced at their LHR hub, with BA connecting flights to Europe and Asia (and Scotland/NCL). AA might start a few flights from the US to BHX but there wouldn't be any connections, BA isn't going to duplicate its network at BHX unless it was somehow forced to give up LHR. Possibly there might be some new transit opportunities on Star Alliance/Skyteam airlines.

I suppose BA does sell tickets involving self-funded LGW-LHR transits. With HS2 an LHR-BHX transit might become possible, eventually, but still adds complexity and cost. So I agree BHX preclearance would be useful for some people but I'm not convinced it will be profitable.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Well yes, if you were coming from central London or somewhere with easier access to HS2 than a train line / road to Heathrow, but how much is a train ticket going to cost?

Aren't ticket costs supposed to decrease significantly with the additional capacity HS2 offers?

Perhaps preclearance at BHX might also attract some passengers who fly from MAN (and don't already travel on EI to preclear in Ireland), but I don't see many people except the desperate taking a train from Scotland to BHX; NCL maybe marginal.

Birmingham International has direct services to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, so I do expect it to be an option for less time-sensitive leisure travellers certainly (I agree that Scottish businessmen/women are likely to fly direct).

As @Bald Rick has said there are also a lot of transit passengers. BA plus its joint venture partners AA/AY/IB are firmly ensconced at their LHR hub, with BA connecting flights to Europe and Asia (and Scotland/NCL). AA might start a few flights from the US to BHX but there wouldn't be any connections, BA isn't going to duplicate its network at BHX unless it was somehow forced to give up LHR. Possibly there might be some new transit opportunities on Star Alliance/Skyteam airlines.

I do agree that transit passengers will likely choose LHR still, but I believe there is enough domestic demand to support a preclearance facility outside of LHR.

 

[Cross City]

I do agree that transit passengers will likely choose LHR still, but I believe there is enough domestic demand to support a preclearance facility outside of LHR.

Agreed. BHX has the most people within a 3 hour drive of any UK airport. Putting something like US pre-clearance here makes sense IMO, and would make even more sense if HS was fully going to Manchester too.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Agreed. BHX has the most people within a 3 hour drive of any UK airport. Putting something like US pre-clearance here makes sense IMO, and would make even more sense if HS was fully going to Manchester too.

And it has no direct transatlantic flights currently, so passengers from the West Midlands either have to use Manchester or London airports for those services.