Big planes bring customs delays

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 12

Big planes bring customs delays

Wide-bodied international aircraft are presenting problems for the Customs Department at Christchurch Airport. Customs procedures for overseas passengers arriving at the airport run fairly smoothly and without many delays in normal circumstances, but occasionally delays occur, especially with wide-bodied aircraft. Mr A. H. Mills, the Assistant Collector of Customs in Christchurch, said that with normal-size aircraft such as Boeing 707 s or DCBs the Customs search facilities at the airport were adequate, but when two wide-bodied airliners landed almost simultaneously the Customs staff and the search facilities were under real pressure. Time and motion studies made by airlines show that it takes between 50 and 75 minutes to clear a widebodied aircraft. But Mr Mills admitted delays could depend on the type of passenger and the particular area from which he arrived.

“For example a plane with half its passengers being tourists would be cleared more quickly than « plane load of returning New Zealanders, the majority ofi

whom would have in their possession dutiable goods.”

Mr Mills said even where Customs could move passengers along without undue delays passengers could always be stopped by immigration or agriculture officers.

Customs staff were not aware of the number of passengers on board an aircraft until it arrived, and this could sometimes cause staffing problems.

Mr Mills said that extra staff were not the solution for clearing passengers more quickly. Even with more staff the existing Customs facilities at the airport were simply not large enough. It was expected' that the new international wing at the airport would provide more space, he said.