African airlines and major industry bodies have opposed plans to impose charges on carriers and passengers for government-operated Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems, arguing that border security should remain the responsibility of governments.
The Punch reported that the African Airlines Association, Airlines Association of Southern Africa and International Air Transport Association said they support the introduction of API and PNR systems across Africa but maintained that their implementation should not result in additional financial burdens for airlines or travellers.
The position was contained 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 finance the systems as part of their responsibility for securing national borders.
API and PNR systems enable governments to obtain passenger information before travellers arrive in or leave a country.
Such data can assist authorities with border management, law enforcement and the identification of potential security threats, while also facilitating smoother travel for legitimate passengers.
However, the aviation organisations warned that the security benefits could be weakened if countries adopt fragmented systems or introduce additional charges in an industry already facing significant operating expenses.
They specifically rejected attempts to fund national API and PNR programmes through fees imposed on airlines and passengers.
According to the groups, the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services, contained in Doc 9082, recognise border security as a government responsibility.
They therefore argued that governments should bear the costs of border-security measures, including the development and operation of API and PNR programmes.
The associations warned that transferring the costs to airlines and passengers would increase the price of air travel, potentially reduce connectivity and undermine aviation’s contribution to tourism, trade and investment.
They urged African governments preparing to introduce API and PNR systems to establish clear legal and operational frameworks before deployment and ensure that the programmes comply with ICAO standards and other internationally recognised practices.
The aviation bodies identified four key principles that should guide the systems: legality, proportionality, purpose limitation, and consistency and accuracy.
On legality, they said governments must put in place clear laws governing the collection, processing and transfer of passenger information in line with international API and PNR standards and applicable bilateral and regional agreements.
They also called for proportionality, stressing that authorities should collect only information necessary for clearly defined purposes.
Passenger information, they added, should not be stored indefinitely. Instead, governments should establish specific retention periods and ensure that risk-assessment mechanisms contain safeguards against discriminatory practices.
The groups further said data collected through API and PNR programmes should only be used for legitimate purposes, including border management, national security, law enforcement and the prevention of serious crimes.
They urged governments to ensure accuracy and consistency in the collection, processing, storage and transmission of passenger information, while adopting harmonised global data formats and strong safeguards for personal data.
The associations stressed that their opposition was not to passenger-data systems themselves but to implementation models that create unnecessary costs, conflicting requirements and additional 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 added that closer cooperation between governments and the aviation industry would improve security while avoiding unnecessary complications and costs for travellers.
“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.
