Miami airport upgrades passenger facilities

Beginning this August, international passengers flying American Airlines to Miami International Airport will be welcomed to the United States by a new three-level, 400,000- square-foot Federal Inspection Service area twice the size of the existing Concourse E facility. The dazzling new area is located in the middle of North Terminal and is adjacent to Concourse D skytrain station 3, for quick access from any of the 47 gates in North Terminal within four minutes. Upon arrival at the new FIS facility, international travellers will be greeted by a passport control area featuring 78 lanes that can process 2,000 passengers per hour. MIA is also among a select group of United States airports with six dedicated lanes for Global Entry, which provides expedited processing for travellers who have registered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Once processed, passengers will collect their checked bags in a spacious new second-level baggage claim area and then exit on either the second level for connecting flights or to the first level greeter’s lobby. Befitting for the top international gateway to the U.S., the terrazzo floor of the new greeter’s lobby features a rendering of the globe titled “Gateway of the World.” North Terminal’s new FIS facility opens at a time when visitors to Miami-Dade County are at record-breaking numbers. MIA is now the top U.S. airport for international flights, with nearly 1,300 weekly flights serving 85 international destinations. With American Airlines and American Eagle combining to handle nearly 70 percent of MIA’s passengers, and with 95 per cent of Miami-Dade County’s visitors arriving through MIA, the new North Terminal FIS facility will soon be the County’s main front door to the world.