The growing U.S. Customs challenge for international operators

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) clearance hours have been increasingly restricted in recent years at ports across the U.S. making it more and more challenging for business aircraft operators to return home from overseas and clearing U.S. Customs at their desired location and time.

Part of the reason for this is high and record traffic volumes at many ports, combined with infrastructure and staffing limitations by CBP – a challenge that continues to grow.

As a result, international operators often have to make an extra stop to clear Customs at a different port, where Customs services will be available at the time they arrive, before proceeding on to their final arrival destination. This obviously adds costs, time, complexity, and potential risk of something going wrong to the mission.

CBP Reimbursable Services Program helps address this

To address these challenges, CBP has developed the Reimbursable Services Program (RSP).

RSP allows CBP to provide additional inspection services upon the request of approved RSP partners at times when otherwise these services would not be available – i.e., pre-arranged overtime hours.

CBP services can include customs, immigration, agricultural processing, border security, and support at any facility where CBP currently provides services or will so in the future.

As of early 2022, there have been >250 companies approved as RSP partners, consisting mainly of airlines, cargo operators, FBOs, and some business aircraft operators for their individual home base.

There’s also one mission management company on the approved RSP partner list – Universal.

Universal becomes 1st mission management company approved for the U.S. CBP Reimbursable Services Program (RSP)

Customers working with Universal® Trip Support can take advantage of Universal’s RSP partner status at the following airports:

1. 1. Albany International Airport | KALB | Albany, NY
   2. Albuquerque International Sunport | KABQ | Albuquerque, NM
   3. Austin–Bergstrom International | KAUS | Austin, TX
   4. Bangor International | KBGR | Bangor, ME
   5. Baltimore–Washington International Airport | KBWI | Baltimore, MD
   6. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport | KLIT | Little Rock, AR
   7. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport | KBHM | Birmingham, AL
   8. Bradley International | KBDL | Windsor Locks, CT
   9. Burlington International Airport | KBTV | Burlington, VT
   10. Charles B. Wheeler Downtown | KMKC | Kansas City, MO
   11. Charleston International | KCHS | Charleston, SC
   12. Charlotte Douglas International | KCLT | Charlotte, NC
   13. Chicago Midway | KMDW | Chicago, IL
   14. Cincinnati International Airport | KCVG | Cincinnati, OH
   15. Cleveland Hopkins International | KCLE | Cleveland, OH
   16. Dekalb-Peachtree Airport | KPDK | Atlanta, GA
   17. Denver International | KDEN | Denver, CO
   18. Des Moines International Airport | KDSM | Des Moines, IA
   19. *NEW* Duluth Intl | KDLH | Duluth, Minnesota
   20. Eppley Airfield | KOMA | Omaha, NE
   21. Fairbanks International Airport | PAFA | Fairbanks, AK
   22. Francis S. Gabreski | KFOK | Long Island, NY
   23. Fulton County Airport | KFTY | Atlanta, GA
   24. Gary/Chicago International Airport | KGYY | Gary, IN
   25. General Mitchell International | KMKE | Milwaukee, WI
   26. General Wayne A. Downing International Airport | KPIA | Peoria, IL
   27. George Bush Intercontinental | KIAH | Houston, TX
   28. Gerald R. Ford | KGRR | Grand Rapids, MI
   29. Great Falls International | KGTF | Great Falls, MT
   30. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International | KATL | Atlanta, GA
   31. Hilton Head International | KSAV | Savannah, GA
   32. Indianapolis International | KIND | Indianapolis, IN
   33. Jacksonville International | KJAX | Jacksonville, FL
   34. John Glenn Columbus International Airport | KCMH | Columbus, OH
   35. Kahului Airport | PHOG | Kahului, HI
   36. Kansas City International Airport | KMCI | Kansas City, MO
   37. Kona International Airport at Keāhole | PHKO | Kalaoa, HI
   38. Lehigh Valley International | KABE | Allentown, PA
   39. LaGuardia Airport | KLGA | New York, NY
   40. Logan International Airport | KBOS | Boston, MA
   41. Long Island MacArthur | KISP | Long Island, NY
   42. Los Angeles International | KLAX | Los Angeles, CA
   43. Louis Armstrong International Airport | KMSY | New Orleans, LA
   44. Louisville International | KSDF | Louisville, KY
   45. *NEW* Manassas Regional | KHEF | Manassas, Virginia
   46. Memphis International | KMEM | Memphis, TN
   47. Metropolitan International | KBTR | Baton Rouge, LA
   48. Metropolitan Oakland International | KOAK | Oakland, CA
   49. Miami Executive Airport | KTMB | Miami, FL
   50. Miami Opa Locka | KOPF | Miami, FL
   51. Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport | KMSP | Minneapolis, MN
   52. Moffett Federal Airfield | KNUQ | Mountain View, CA
   53. Nashville International | KBNA | Nashville, TN
   54. Orlando International Airport | KMCO | Orlando, FL
   55. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | KPHX | Phoenix, AZ
   56. Pittsburgh International Airport | KPIT | Pittsburgh, PA
   57. *NEW* Portland Intl Jetport | KPWM | Portland, Maine
   58. Portland International Airport | KPDX | Portland, OR
   59. *NEW* Portsmouth Intl | KPSM | Portsmouth, New Hampshire
   60. Raleigh-Durham International Airport | KRDU | Morrisville, NC
   61. Reno–Tahoe International | KRNO | Reno, NV
   62. Republic Airport | KFRG | Farmingdale, NY
   63. St. Louis Lambert International Airport | KSTL | St. Louis, MO
   64. St. Paul Downtown Airport | KSTP | St. Paul, MN
   65. San Antonio International Airport | KSAT | San Antonio, TX
   66. San Francisco International | KSFO | San Francisco, CA
   67. Salt Lake City International | KSLC | Salt Lake City, UT
   68. San Jose International | KSJC | San Jose, CA
   69. Southwest Florida International Airport | KRSW | Fort Myers, FL
   70. Spirit of St. Louis Airport | KSUS | Chesterfield, MO
   71. *NEW* Spokane Intl | KGEG | Spokane, Washington
   72. T.F. Green State Airport | KPVD | Providence, RI
   73. Tampa International | KTPA | Tampa, FL
   74. Teterboro Airport | KTEB | Teterboro, NJ
   75. Treasure Coast International | KFPR | Fort Pierce, FL
   76. Tulsa International Airport | KTUL | Tulsa, OK
   77. West Palm Beach | KPBI | West Palm Beach, FL
   78. Westchester County | KHPN | White Plains, NY
   79. Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport | KICT | Wichita, KS
   80. Will Rogers World Airport | KOKC | Oklahoma City, OK
   81. Wilmington Airport | KILG | Wilmington, DE

This list will likely grow as CBP reviews batches of applications and amendments for new airports on a triannual basis. Our focus will be to add airports where our customers frequently need customs overtime solutions to afford them maximum flexibility in their operations.

In addition to making overtime requests for ports that Universal is approved for, our Global Regulatory Services team can help you apply for your own RSP partner status at other ports where you frequently need to clear.

Enhance your operational flexibility with RSP

To learn more about how Universal can help you with RSP, speak with your Universal Account Manager or visit our website.