If you are entering the United States from south of the border, you may be required to clear customs at the closest of 28 designated Airports Of Entry (AOE), which may not be the most convenient stopping point for you or others on board. Fortunately, with some advanced planning, business aviation flights can take advantage of the Border Overflight Exemption (BOE) and use the AOE best suited to your needs. Granted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), BOEs can save considerable time and expense for both international visitors and those returning to the U.S. from a trip to the south.
Aircraft operators can request a BOE from CBP for business aviation flights inbound to the U.S. from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, and French Polynesia. (Technically, from below the 30th parallel in the Eastern U.S., and the 33rd parallel in the Western U.S.) A BOE may be requested for a single flight or for a term, covering all flights during that period.
To receive BOE approval, the aircraft operator must comply with the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) procedures and the receiving port of entry must grant landing rights. Additionally, crew members must be listed in the BOE application and the aircraft must be operated according to mandated BOE flight rules. A copy of the Overflight Exemption must be kept onboard, though it may be an electronic copy on a tablet, EFB or other smart device.
The CBP generally grants a single-trip BOE in about 15 business days. As of March 2017, all BOE term exemptions are valid for two years. Prior to that date, operators could apply for an exemption of up to one year. A term exemption requires 30 business days for approval, though seasonal changes in demand and the complexity of the application can affect this timetable.
BOEs are available to any operator, and can be requested by either the aircraft operator or we can file the BOE on your behalf. Required information includes data about the operator and the crew(s). BOEs are usually filed with the Customs office of the operator’s home base airport in the U.S., or for foreign operators, the airport most frequently used for their U.S. arrivals. As of March 2017, aircrafts are no longer listed on the BOE approval. Any aircraft that’s operationally capable and meets CBP requirements for an aircraft to be considered worthy of overflight may be used.
Our experienced Jetex representatives are happy to assist you with your BOE application. Get in touch with us today.
Jetex Dubai
+971 4 2124000
info@jetex.com
Jetex Miami
+1 305 306 4000
itp@jetex.com
Besides the BOE, you will also need to submit relevant passenger information. Jetex can assist you in navigating through the process. Read more about submissions to the U.S. APIS system or other permits and permissions required.
