British Airways fliers to "breeze" through JFK

British Airways has announced that passengers on its forthcoming business class flights to New York will have the opportunity to pass immigration and customs at Shannon Airport, meaning that they will be able to travel straight through John F Kennedy Airport when they arrive in the United States.

The airline's flight to New York from London City Airport will have a stopover at Shannon in west Ireland to refuel, at which point passengers will be given the chance to pass the customs and immigration checks that would usually be carried out at their final destination.

Shannon is the first European airport to be granted pre-clearance facilities on transatlantic flights to the US.

The development, which was announced by Irish transport minister Noel Dempsey, will allow British Airways customers to "breeze" through the busy JFK Airport, the airline claimed.

Robert Boyle, British Airways' commercial director, said: "The introduction of pre-clearance facilities at Shannon will mean customers on our business class flights from London City to New York will be able to bypass the normal customs and immigration checks on arrival in the US.

"Many city workers will be able to get from desk to aircraft in as little as 30 minutes at London City. Now it will be more convenient than ever to travel from desk to desk from London City to New York, in unrivalled comfort and style."

British Airways will use an Airbus A318 offering a one-cabin business class product for its flights from London City Airport to New York. The service, due to launch in autumn 2009, will represent the first long-haul route to be operated from the London gateway.

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