U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today a new Preclearance Terminal that will open Wednesday at the new L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda.

The new Preclearance facility opening will take place immediately after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday. The ceremony will be preceded by the official airport ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will take place at 8:30 a.m.

“This opening has been a long time coming, but we are excited to finally deploy critical new resources and technological innovations to help improve the traveler experience in Bermuda, while still maintaining the highest levels of national security,” said Clint Lamm, Director of Field Operations, CBP Preclearance. “The beautiful facility builds onto decades of benefits that this program has delivered to both Americans and Bermudians.”

The new terminal will include Simplified Arrival, an enhanced international arrival process that uses facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. This process provides travelers with a touchless experience that further secures and streamlines international arrivals while fulfilling a longstanding Congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.

This new technology is part of a $250 million upgrade to L.F. Wade International Airport that began in April 2017. The new terminal will be split between two levels, and will include airside and groundside facilities. The updated facility was designed to process more than 800 passengers an hour.

Established in Bermuda in 1974, Preclearance enables travelers to complete customs, immigration, and agriculture inspections before boarding direct flights to the United States. Precleared travelers in transit will not require CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security inspections upon arrival in the United States, saving valuable time as they proceed to connecting flights or their destination.

“Combining Simplified Arrival with our Preclearance procedures will not only help us process passengers more efficiently, but it will allow us to better protect traveler and officer safety,” said Cletus William, Port Director, CBP Bermuda. “This new state of the art facility truly reflects the best Bermuda has to offer, and it exemplifies the strength of the partnership between CBP Preclearance and the people of the island.”