Originally Posted by
rankourabu
If they wanted to do it in Mexico, they wouldve done it a long time ago - even Bahamas has it!
Waste of resources? According to who? US is not paying for this.
This is a smart move by EY/QR and UAE/Qatar - most of the traffic is connecting, not originating those places. On top of offering a superior product over European and American airlines, connections will be easier too. Why would anyone want to connect in FRA/LHR/AMS if they can just pre-clear in DOH/AUH
The US is paying for it both in salaries and overseas living expenses for the officers involved (unless these nations are paying those as well), along with the corresponding shortage that removing a team of officers from an airport will cause.
With Canada, the Bahamas and even hypothetically Mexico there is an actual valid economic reason for doing so, in that people can save valuable time by making short haul connections in a reasonable and more timely manner. Does it really make much sense for people in Qatar to have to get to the airport 2-3 hours earlier than they normally would have to just so they can shave 30-45 minutes off of the tail end of their journey? Besides, compared to the inter-American flights, how many people coming from Qatar are trying to connect to a short haul flight upon landing in the US?