The National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the voice of the business travel industry, applauded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) plan to expand the Global Entry pilot to four additional U.S. international airports: Los Angeles International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Chicago O’Hare International, and Miami International. Designed to meet one of NBTA’s major public affairs priorities, Global Entry provides low-risk travelers with a mechanism to speed their processing through U.S. immigration checkpoints.

“NBTA congratulates the Department of Homeland Security for its continuing efforts to make Global Entry a reality,” said NBTA Executive Director and COO Bill Connors. “Global Entry will give frequent business travelers a quick and secure means to enter the United States, ultimately helping to promote the flow of international commerce. We urge continued efforts to expand the program even further by launching it at international airports throughout the United States.”

Participants enrolled in this trusted traveler program bypass the regular passport control line and proceed directly to the Global Entry kiosks, where their identity is confirmed via a biometric check. DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) earlier this year launched the Global Entry pilot program at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). NBTA has advocated rapid expansion of the program from the pilot stage to national rollout.

In June NBTA praised the advancement in the U.S. House of Representatives of an appropriations bill that would provide $10 million to fund the Global Entry program. NBTA and its members are encouraging the full House and the Senate to ensure the Global Entry provisions of the bill are delivered to the President’s desk and signed into law.