US CBP, DFW and dnata open first centralized airside inspection station

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials from the Regional Port of Dallas, along with officials from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and executives from dnata Cargo USA, announced the opening of the nation’s first and only CBP central screening station with direct access to an airport flight operations area (AOA).

The innovative system, which traditionally takes place outside of a secure airfield environment at other airports, allows cargo to be transferred directly from aircraft to the CBP inspection facility, eliminating the need for additional transportation and significantly increasing efficiency, according to an official CBP press release.

“This ambitious venture with dnata Cargo USA and DFW supports a strong economy and gives the Port of Dallas the cargo handling space to consolidate CBP’s enforcement efforts and unprecedented volume of international e-commerce shipments,” said Jayson Ahern, Dallas Area Port Director, CBP. “This streamlined effort allows CBP to better utilize our resources and workforce while ensuring we fulfill our national security mission. We are better able to handle legitimate cargo while protecting American businesses and consumers by intercepting illegal and potentially unsafe goods. This is core to CBP’s mission.”

The facility is strategically designed, from its location to its operations. The Central Examination Station (CES) is staffed with CBP officers on-site and features the latest non-invasive inspection technology to expedite cargo examinations and streamline the entire package handling process at DFW, the release added.

“CES is an important part of supporting the rapid growth of international e-commerce parcel handling at DFW Airport,” said Chris McLaughlin, Executive Vice President, Operations, DFW. “Thanks to our central location and extensive air transportation network, we are just beginning to realize our immense business potential in the cargo space. We thank our partners at CBP for selecting DFW as the first airport in the country to introduce this new operating model.”

DFW Airport processed 16,000 international e-commerce shipments in fiscal year 2020. In 2023, the airport was able to increase its e-commerce shipments to 20 million packages. In the first half of 2024, this number will already exceed 23 million packages, the press release continued.

While the vast majority of importers comply with U.S. laws and regulations, transnational criminal organizations continually attempt to circumvent the system by hiding their contraband among the massive flow of legitimate shipments. CBP now has another resource to address the challenges in the de minimis environment and better protect the American people, the release continued.

“By accelerating the flow of legal goods, this innovative CES has proven to be an economic boost for the region,” said Ahern. “CBP has assigned officers, agricultural specialists and supervisors to this facility since it opened, and we have seen increased speed and efficiency in processing cross-border e-commerce and imports for inspection. For the American consumer, this means their products will get to their doorstep faster and more securely. This CES will serve as a model for future port efforts across the United States. Along with our partners DFW and dnata Cargo USA, we are proud to be at the forefront of this innovative effort.”