Bangor panel debates airport pre-clearance status

BANGOR – As officials in Halifax, Nova Scotia, intensify their efforts to get concessions on potentially lucrative airport customs fees, Bangor officials have to decide whether to fight them or join them.

A special committee established by the Bangor City Council met Thursday and began deliberations about whether to continue to oppose the effort or somehow reach an accord with the Nova Scotia airport.

So far, Bangor has opposed efforts by Halifax to get pre-clearance status for flights originating at the airport. This pre-clearance allows planes to enter this country and be treated as domestic flights.

No additional clearances through customs would be needed for planes going to subsequent airports, which are often larger, more congested hub airports in cities such as Boston and New York.

Panel members said, however, that it’s not the originating pre-clearance status that they are worried about, it’s what it could lead to – and elsewhere, has led to – that has them concerned.

“Once the genie is out of the bottle, what is it going to lead to?” panel Chairman Joe Baldacci said.

Panel members are worried that the originating pre-clearance could open the door for Halifax to offer in-transit pre-clearance, a profitable procedure that allows flights from outside the country, such as Europe, to clear through Bangor.

Bangor International Airport Director Rebecca Hupp estimated that the airport receives $1,500 to $2,000 every time a plane goes through this in-transit pre-clearance, although there were no figures available Thursday about the total revenues from such flights in any year. Panel members have asked Hupp to provide revenue figures from the last three to five years.

Pre-clearance also makes BIA more attractive to customers and airlines at a time when Bangor faces competition with some disadvantages to overcome, airport and city officials said.

The Bangor airport has to contend with stricter security requirements than Canada. Bangor City Manager Ed Barrett said that any plane that comes to this country must file a passenger manifest in advance, although Canada has been more flexible in providing waivers, making those airports more desirable. Barrett also said U.S. airports can’t handle any aircraft bound for Cuba.

Options before the panel include supporting the originating pre-clearance for Halifax, but with provisions that Halifax can’t get into the in-transit business, or reaching a binding agreement with Halifax to assure Bangor’s interests are protected.

Panel members wanted these assurances that if Bangor concedes to anything, that the city and its airport isn’t harmed and maybe even gets something out of it.

“We really don’t want to give up our ace without good reasons or without insuring that it’s not going to impact our ability to offer the services that we offer,” Hupp said.