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Passenger Data Transfer

Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)

Advance Passenger Information was supplied from airlines on a voluntary basis prior to the events of 9/11.  Since 2001, and the implementation of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), Advance Passenger Information must be supplied via APIS, enabling secure data sharing and access to critical information used by airlines and Government departments to identify high-risk passengers, enforce border security and enhance aviation passenger safety.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) established that the mandatory collection of advance passenger information was required to be supplied to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for international passengers bound for the US, up to 72 hours prior to their departure.

The collection of advance passenger information is critical for the compilation of Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD), required by every airline under TSA and Department of Homeland Security specifications and is used, in conjunction with FBI records, to identify high-risk passengers for appropriate checks and subsequent security measures to be enforced.  This also enables aviation security to facilitate the swift processing of low-risk passengers, minimising delays on the ground.

Advance Passenger Information requires the supply of:

  • Passenger Full Name (as given on the passport document)
  • Passport Number
  • Passport Expiry Date
  • Passport Country of Issue
  • Nationality
  • Gender
  • Date of Birth
  • Country of Residence

Often, this advance passenger information is collected automatically, when passengers book through an online service or can be completed via the airline’s booking management website facility.  It is essential that the advance passenger information is supplied in a timely manner, within 72 hours of departure time for international passengers outside the US, to prevent long processing delays on the ground.  If the information not supplied within the strict guidelines, this can result in the refusal of the passenger boarding the aircraft altogether.

For internal, U.S. flights, the information is required a maximum of 30 minutes before departure time.  The airline, under these circumstances, can transmit pre-departure advance passenger information via APIS Batch Transmission or APIS Quick Query, which allows the transmission of real-time data as each passenger check in.

APIS is the system used for the electronic transmission of advance passenger information, processing the data exchange between airlines and the destination country.  Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is world-recognised as the standard means of advance passenger information processing, to enhance security operations, secure data interchange and integration with the passenger name records information.

ARINC uses eight decades of aviation communications experience to ensure that AviSec Messaging provides industry-leading reliability for the secure, efficient delivery of essential advance passenger information via APIS transmission.