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'High Value' Air Passengers May Get Fast-Track Passport Checks
UK Border Agency working on plans for priority passport lanes for rich travellers at Heathrow and other British airports
The Guardian
Tuesday 18 September 2012 14.57 EDT
Alan Travis, home affairs editor
[font color=gray]
Queues at Heathrow border control in June. Photograph:
Steve Parsons/PA[/font]
The UK Border Agency has disclosed that it is working on plans for fast-track passport lanes for rich travellers at Heathrow and other British airports so it can avoid a repeat of the two-hour queues witnessed this year. Brian Moore, the departing head of the UK Border Force, told MPs that "high-value" people who were considered valuable passengers by the airlines or valuable to the British economy would be given priority treatment at immigration control under the plans.
It would be an extension of a priority queueing system tried out this year at Heathrow, under which passengers from Australia, Canada, the US, New Zealand and other mainly "old Commonwealth" countries who do not need a visa to enter Britain would be fast-tracked.
Moore told the Commons home affairs select committee: "It is an idea that officials are discussing with port operators. It will then go back to ministers for them to consider whether and how it is going to be progressed. It is an idea that is being pursued."
Keith Vaz, the committee chair, pressed Moore as to whether it meant the super-rich would have a fast-track into Britain. Moore said it would cover people who were "valuable to the economy and were valued by the airlines". He said the move was intended to demonstrate that Britain was "open for business".
MORE
The Guardian
Tuesday 18 September 2012 14.57 EDT
Alan Travis, home affairs editor
[font color=gray]
Queues at Heathrow border control in June. Photograph:
Steve Parsons/PA[/font]
The UK Border Agency has disclosed that it is working on plans for fast-track passport lanes for rich travellers at Heathrow and other British airports so it can avoid a repeat of the two-hour queues witnessed this year. Brian Moore, the departing head of the UK Border Force, told MPs that "high-value" people who were considered valuable passengers by the airlines or valuable to the British economy would be given priority treatment at immigration control under the plans.
It would be an extension of a priority queueing system tried out this year at Heathrow, under which passengers from Australia, Canada, the US, New Zealand and other mainly "old Commonwealth" countries who do not need a visa to enter Britain would be fast-tracked.
Moore told the Commons home affairs select committee: "It is an idea that officials are discussing with port operators. It will then go back to ministers for them to consider whether and how it is going to be progressed. It is an idea that is being pursued."
Keith Vaz, the committee chair, pressed Moore as to whether it meant the super-rich would have a fast-track into Britain. Moore said it would cover people who were "valuable to the economy and were valued by the airlines". He said the move was intended to demonstrate that Britain was "open for business".
MORE
- The culling has begun in earnest......
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4 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
- Perhaps. We'll see.
Some of our richest, are some of our most crazy.
Our richest, are our most crazy.
/fixed
