Today, many governments require airlines to submit detailed passenger information prior to arrival. In addition to the information available on the passport’s machine-readable zone, the US Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), for example, now requires additional personal data from visitors such as country of residence, passport expiration date, and US address. Whilst the rationale for introducing such new requirements is understood, the burden of capturing such data and submitting it electronically falls on airlines.

The failure of governments to agree on standardised data elements, transmission formats and procedures adds to the overall cost of implementing such measures.

At the same time, there are serious penalties imposed on airlines for non-compliance to data submission/accuracy,whilst on the other hand, concerns of individual privacy in many countries, especially from a passenger rights perspective, put airlines in a dilemma.