African airlines and their industry representatives have pushed back against attempts to make airlines and passengers pay for government-run Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems, insisting that border security is the responsibility of states.
The African Airlines Association, Airlines Association of Southern Africa and International Air Transport Association said they support the deployment of API and PNR systems across the continent, but warned that the cost should not be passed on to travellers or carriers through additional charges.
In a joint statement signed by AFRAA Secretary-General, Abdérahmane Berthé; AASA Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Munetsi; and IATA Regional Vice President, Africa and Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi, the associations said governments should fund the systems as part of their border-security responsibilities.
API and PNR systems allow governments to receive passenger information before travellers arrive at or depart from a country. The data can help authorities strengthen border controls, support law-enforcement operations and identify security risks, while also making the movement of legitimate travellers more efficient.
But the three aviation bodies warned that the benefits could be undermined if African countries introduce poorly coordinated systems or impose new financial burdens on an industry already grappling with high operating costs.
They particularly rejected the use of airline and passenger charges to fund national API and PNR programmes.
The associations argued that the International Civil Aviation Organization Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services, contained in Doc 9082, recognise border security as a government responsibility. Consequently, they said, the costs associated with border-security measures, including API and PNR programmes, should be borne by governments.
Passing the bill to airlines and passengers, they warned, would ultimately make air travel more expensive, weaken connectivity and threaten some of the wider economic benefits aviation brings through tourism, trade and investment.
For an industry seeking to make air travel across Africa more accessible, the associations said additional charges could have consequences far beyond the price of a ticket.
They therefore called on governments implementing API and PNR systems to put clear legal and operational frameworks in place before deployment, while ensuring that national programmes conform to ICAO standards and other internationally recognised practices.
Four principles, they said, should underpin the systems: legality, proportionality, purpose limitation, and consistency and accuracy.
On legality, the groups said governments must establish clear laws governing the collection, processing and transfer of passenger data, consistent with international API and PNR standards as well as applicable bilateral and regional agreements.
They also harped on proportionality, saying authorities should collect only information genuinely required for the stated purpose.
Passenger data, they said, should not be kept indefinitely. It should be retained for a clearly defined period, while risk-assessment processes must contain safeguards to prevent discrimination.
The associations also maintained that information collected under API and PNR programmes must be used only for legitimate purposes such as border control, national security, law enforcement and the prevention of serious crimes.
They also urged governments to prioritise accuracy and consistency in the way passenger information is collected, processed, stored and transmitted, with countries adopting harmonised global data formats and strong safeguards for personal information.
In their joint statement, the aviation bodies said they were not opposed to passenger-data systems, but to approaches that create unnecessary costs, inconsistent requirements and avoidable burdens for travellers and airlines.
The organisations said, “We support the implementation of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record data transfer and recognise the important role passenger data plays in keeping borders secure.
“However, these systems must be aligned around internationally recognised standards and funded correctly.”
They said a coordinated approach between governments and the aviation industry would deliver better security without making travel unnecessarily complicated or expensive.
“A consistent approach, with governments and industry working together, improves security outcomes, makes travel more seamless, safeguards personal data, and avoids unnecessary costs and complexity,” they added.
