Global Entry Debuts at DFW International Airport

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TX (August 24, 2009) – DFW International Airport passengers can look forward to a faster customs arrival process with the debut of Global Entry today. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program allows international travelers who pass a background check the use of an automated kiosk and exclusive exit lane to speed through the customs process. 

“Global Entry expedites the customs and security process for trusted air travelers while helping DHS ensure the safety of all airline passengers," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "Expanding this vital program allows us to improve customer service at airports and concentrate our resources on higherrisk travelers."

Upon returning from outside the United States, participants will approach a Global Entry kiosk, insert their passport or permanent resident card, provide digital fingerprints for comparison with prints on file, answer customs declaration questions on the kiosk’s touch-screen and then present a transaction receipt to a CBP officer before leaving the inspection area. Participation in the Global Entry program requires a $100 application fee, which is valid for five years.

At the seven domestic airports where Global Entry was piloted, wait lines were reduced by an average of 70 percent and more than three-quarters of the participants were processed in under five minutes. 

“Global Entry will go a long way toward making our Airport even more customerfriendly,” said Joe Lopano, executive vice president of Marketing and Terminal Management for DFW. “DFW strives to offer the quickest entry into the United States, and once here, the most convenient connections to anywhere in the country.“

DFW, in partnership with CBP, has built an enrollment center in International Terminal D for the Global Entry program. In addition, the Airport has placed enhanced signage and floor markings for easy navigation to the new kiosks.

DFW welcomes more than 2.7 million international travelers annually from 37 global cities including Madrid, which began this spring. CBP estimates international travel will increase on average by 3.9 percent annually across the country for the next 15 years. 

Now recognized globally as one of the world’s best Airports for customer service, DFW International Airport continues to deploy first-class customer initiatives to complement its new International Terminal D, Skylink, and Grand Hyatt Hotel facilities. Recent initiatives include Samsung Mobile Travel Lounges, Comfort Zone seating areas, Pepsi Landing Zones for children and more than 200 shops and restaurants.

In addition to DFW, Global Entry expanded its presence today at international airports in Boston, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan and Seattle.

The pilot airports for Global Entry include Atlanta, Chicago (O’Hare), Houston (Intercontinental), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Miami and Washington (Dulles).