Originally Posted by
BA318
Many Europeans still can't use Global Entry and many people don't know about it. It's also a big pull for many once a year flyers. I know several families who specifically booked their Orlando flights with Aer Lingus connecting in Dublin because they heard about pre-clearance.
Re pre-clearance, the key benefit for pax arriving into the US is the ability to walk straight to baggage reclaim then be on your way. As it stands, right now, if you arrive at any major US airport without global entry and a number of other international flights arrive at same time, you could be looking at a very lengthy wait time to clear immigration. The last thing you want is to be standing in a long line full of tired and ratty passengers. This applies to both US nationals and visitors. As others have also commented, airlines have the benefit of reduced costs and turn around times for aircraft. Should pre-clearance be awarded to EDI, the airport would be joining a fairly exclusive club. Not many airports offer the service. An initial £5 million cost would appear to be a small price to pay in the grander scheme of things.