Customs Opens New Facility at Boca Raton/KBCT, Florida

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing in South Florida. A 4,400-square-foot stand-alone CBP facility has opened at Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

"South Florida is one of Customs and Border Protection's busiest regions for clearing incoming air traffic," said Sarah Wolf, NBAA's senior manager of security and facilitation. "In fact, a feasibility study conducted by the agency prior to construction forecast 700 annual flights, or an average of three per day during the facility's operational hours."

The majority of the funding for the project was provided by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), with remaining project costs provided by the Boca Raton Airport Authority (BRAA). Aviation fuel taxes throughout the state of Florida fund the FDOT grant, while the BRAA funds originate from airport property leases and fuel flow fees.

CBP will provide its fee-based services Thursday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., although pilots should verify hours prior to arriving. After-hours services are available for an additional fee. Pilots flying into BCT from an international location should taxi directly to the CBP facility, located between Taxiways P6 and P7.

"We appreciate the efforts of CBP, Boca Raton Airport management and others involved with building the new facility, which gives business aircraft operators an additional option for clearing Customs when flying into this region," said Wolf. "For aircraft operators based at Boca Raton, or for those with Boca Raton as their final destination, the facility improves safety by eliminating the need for an extra flight leg following a long international flight. NBAA members, the city of Boca Raton and the South Florida region in general will see the benefits of this new facility."