House bill could produce savings on customs services at JWA

A House bill backed by three members of Congress from Orange County would make John Wayne Airport a designated port of entry, meaning potential savings for the airport, airlines and passengers because JWA would no longer have to reimburse the federal government for the cost of customs services for international travelers.

HR 1051, introduced by Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Santa Ana), would require the U.S. secretary of homeland security to make the designation.

Currently, John Wayne Airport is required to reimburse U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for all the cost of federal inspections for arriving foreign visitors. Since JWA’s international arrivals facility opened in June 2012, the airport has paid more than $4 million in fees, which are passed on to the airlines and ultimately to travelers, according to a news release distributed by Orange County.

Sanchez said the port of entry designation would remove the fee requirement.

“In addition to these costs, all international passengers arriving at JWA (from Mexico and Canada) are being charged the normal federal fees applicable at U.S. ports of entry (a total of $17.50 per passenger). In essence, international passengers arriving at JWA are paying twice for the same service,” Courtney Wiercioch, deputy airport director for public affairs, said in an email. “That additional cost … presents a significant challenge to our efforts to attract and retain international service.”

Since June 2012, John Wayne Airport has served more than 600,000 passengers traveling between Orange County and Mexico, according to county Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer.

According to a 2013 consultant’s report, JWA’s Mexico service produces total annual economic output for Orange County of about $131 million, including airport-related operations and visitor spending.