Pre-clearance facilities for US immigration at airports in Shannon and Dublin will be accessible by passengers making use of the new Norwegian-operated, transatlantic budget flights. Shannon and Dublin are two of a handful of airports in the world to be offering pre-clearance to the US, with Dublin the only one to offer the facility in the whole of Europe.
US pre-clearance enables passengers to undergo all inspections necessary to enter the US before departure. This means that they can be treated as though they were domestic arrivals when they get to the US, avoiding immigration queues, and then be allowed to collect their luggage and leave. At the same time, Stewart International Airport has created a new direct shuttle service into the center of New York City. This will be timed to meet flight arrivals from Norway, costing passengers $20 for a direct journey into the heart of Manhattan.
The airline will begin operating Norwegian flights to New York State’s Stewart International Airport from July, as well as Providence Airport, creating a gateway into New England and Boston. The first transatlantic flights will also be offered by Cork with a Providence service, although they will not be able to offer pre-clearance for US immigration.
Twelve transatlantic flights will be run from Dublin Airport every week, from 1 July. Shannon Airport will run four per week and Cork Airport three per week.