It is unlikely that a US preclearance visa system would be implemented at Findel airport for travellers taking next year’s planned direct flight between Luxembourg and Newark, Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes said this week.
US preclearance is a procedure applied at various airports worldwide, through which the US Customs and Border Protection agency processes entry formalities prior to departure. Upon arrival in the US, passengers are treated as domestic travelers and generally do not need to undergo any further entry checks.
Backes said Tuesday that Luxembourg’s Findel airport is assessing the benefits of having the procedure at the travel hub, as well as what would need to be done to set it up. But she added that no formal negotiations on it have taken place.
The US preclearance system requires the setting up of a separate area at departures, which would operate under the supervision of the US border authority. Luxembourg has neither a Global Entry agreement with the United States nor a facility for US preclearance at Findel, Backes emphasised.
The US entry system is available at 16 airports across six countries, primarily in Canada. In Europe, only the Dublin and Shannon airports in Ireland have this system.
To set up this visa system is “a complex procedure that would require a significant commitment from the Luxembourgish side,” Backes said.
Before embarking on implementing the procedure in the airport Backes said it is important to consider things including how many passengers would be taking the direct flight to Newark Airport and how US security standards would be implemented at Findel airport.
As of 2 April 2027, US carrier United Airlines will begin operating a daily flight between Luxembourg Airport and Newark Airport in New Jersey.