Just read that Le Touquet (LFAT) no longer accepts the Customs PNR. You have to email Customs on
[email protected]
directly.
I wonder if something strange happened which brought this about and whether there are implications for other French airports, most of which are now "Customs PNR".
Where did you get this? I see nothing in the NOTAMs and the AIP still lists the airport's email address with 2 hours PN required...
Same procedure for Dole (lfgj) that many use for IFR training. One has to send an email to similar address but in Lyon with a 4hr PNR on weekdays and 24hr PNR on weekends... which means no more spontaneous trips for approach training over the weekend...
Other than an extra step that needs to taken, I haven't seen any difference in procedure once there. Customs may show up but normally they never do. I believe it's just a measure to keep better track of international flights using french smaller airports. Of course they could track the ATS fplns instead but that's another story.
The simplest solution would be for the UK to join Schengen
Thanks. Well, they really should issue a NOTAM. Airfield websites are no official information.
Customs in Schengen..
I went to the UK last weekend. At my home base there is Customs available during opening hours. But since there are no commercial flights to/from EHLE and hardly any non-Schengen traffic it is obvious that their work is next to zero.
We passed by at their office on a rainy Saturday and caught them watching movies and eating meatballs. It was apparent that they where struggling to "switch" to job mode; but the customs officer then phoned up Public Safety and did a full Person ID Check. This takes about 10 minutes and it is what they always do. I think the main reason for this is probably to get their work shown up in the statistics ;-)
The next day when we came back the "Royal Marechaussee" was already waiting for us and a nice female officer did the person ID check. I talked to here about the upcoming extension of the airport, and how good it would be for them. See agreed on that and hinted that we were the only flight for them to check on the whole day...
Why don't the tower simply call up a local police officer and let him do the ID check? Having two Custom Officers available during opening hours is a huge waste of money...
Hold on there - are you talking about CUSTOMS or IMMIGRATION? Two very different beasts.... I don't think customs people do ID checks or are even permitted to do so.
Hold on there - are you talking about CUSTOMS or IMMIGRATION?
What's the difference? We call them "douane" and they do Border Control.
Why don't the tower simply call up a local police officer and let him do the ID check?
That's what they do in Austria. So you can do immigration at almost all airfields, with just 2h PNR. If someone bothers at all, it's usually the village "Gendarme" coming to the airfield and checking your documents (or just to chat with you...).
