For business aviation flight crews and scheduler/dispatchers, successful U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing is not a single event, but a cycle that begins well before departing on international missions and continues long after the aircraft returns to base.
That was the message shared by a panel of experts at the 2026 NBAA International Operators Conference in San Diego.
The panelists, with several decades of combined experience working directly with CBP officers, offered details about CBP’s “General Aviation Processing Lifecycle,” which guides operators through four “quadrants” of the process: preparation, preflight processing, day-of-flight execution and post-flight review.
“As soon as you get to quadrant four and do your post-trip review, you’re right back at quadrant one, thinking notionally for the next trip, thinking about your resources, thinking about the potential places you could be going,” said panelist Adam Hartley, founder, Hartley Business Aviation Consulting.
Preparation: Setting the Stage for Success
First, it’s important to secure essential authorizations in advance, such as border overflight exemptions, visa program approvals and participation in CBP initiatives like the Reimbursable Services Program (RSP).
“Don’t wait until that trip to Mexico that you thought you would never have in your flight operation before you get something like a border overflight exemption,” said panelist Laura Everington, NBAA director, flight operations and regulations. “The lead time for an overflight exemption can be 30 to 60 days, depending on their workload programs. Becoming a program partner with the Reimbursable Services Program – that’s a monthslong process. So, if you have all of these things in place and you’re prepared, you’ll be the rock star in your flight department.”
Advance preparation provides flexibility. For example, an overflight exemption allows operators to bypass intermediate stops and proceed directly to their preferred U.S. airport. Similarly, RSP participation enables operators to request overtime CBP services at airports that may not otherwise accommodate after-hours arrivals.
Accurate and current documentation is equally critical. Operators must ensure that passenger passports, visas and aircraft paperwork are valid and aligned before departure. Errors at this stage can create cascading problems later in the process.
Leveraging CBP Tools and Resources
Panelists highlighted the availability of CBP resources designed specifically for general aviation. CBP’s airport fact sheets provide critical operational details specific to each airport, including contact information, hours of operation and landing rights requirements.
“They have information such as hours of operation, lead time for landing rights tolerances, that sort of thing,” said panelist Jonathan Echmalian, senior aviation adviser at the law firm Cozen O’Connor. “It tells a lot, but it doesn’t tell everything. It doesn’t replace preflight planning and anticipating things. If you have a unique situation, you still have to reach out to the port.”
The fact sheets and broader CBP outreach efforts like the agency’s “Coffee with Customs” webinars have significantly improved transparency and communication between regulators and operators.
Preflight Processing: Accuracy, Timing and Communication
Central to the preflight phase is the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). “That’s what everything revolves around at CBP – that can’t be stated enough,” said Echmalian. “It’s transmitting the APIS, doing it accurately and doing it timely. Because you can never give CBP too much time to begin vetting, particularly if there’s an issue with a passenger or something of that nature. So, it’s getting that APIS in, requesting landing rights, reconfirming the parameters of tolerances: ‘Hey, if I have strong winds and if I’m running 45 minutes late, is that OK?’ Just getting those things established.”
Submitting APIS data well beyond the minimum requirement gives CBP time to resolve discrepancies and reduces the risk of delays. Late or inaccurate submissions can trigger additional scrutiny.
Arrival Day: Execution on the Ramp
Once on the ground, the interaction with CBP officers becomes the focal point. Panelists advised crews to be organized, respectful and prepared with all required documentation.
“If you’re prepared, if you’ve read the documentation, you can always say, ‘Hey, I read this on the CBP website,’ and you can refer an officer to it,” said Echmalian. “Also, pilots should have with them the name of the CBP officer who granted landing rights. They should get it from their scheduler/dispatcher.”
A notable best practice introduced during the session was to “seal the deal” before leaving the inspection area. Crews should confirm with the CBP officer that the inspection is complete and ask whether any issues were identified. This step can prevent unexpected follow-up actions, such as penalties or inquiries.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Typical causes of delays and enforcement issues stem from inaccurate or incomplete data. Travel document errors – such as incorrect passport information or mismatched identities – are among the leading problems, the panel said.
“Travel documents is probably No. 1,” said Everington. “Whether somebody’s got multiple passports or ‘I accidentally grabbed my wife’s passport.’ We’ve heard it all – but that is the most common mistake: Just make sure your passengers have their travel documents and they’re accurate.”
Even small discrepancies can raise red flags within CBP’s vetting systems. Panelists stressed that operators remain responsible for accuracy, even when using third-party providers. “Even if somebody else is filing on your behalf, set up a good process to be able to receive that information and review it, because you are ultimately responsible,” Hartley said.
Post-Flight: Continuous Improvement
After the flight, operators should evaluate each trip, document lessons learned and refine procedures. How did the clearance go? What could have gone better?
The panel urged operators to view CBP as a partner rather than an obstacle. “It’s not you trying to beat CBP at their game, or them trying to hold you back,” Hartley said. “What they would say is: ‘You are partners in the same mission to smooth clearance and facilitate legitimate trade and travel. It’s not a gate that you’re trying to get through. They would appreciate any information that you can provide that helps them do their job better.’”
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.