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eAPIS Requirements for Canadian Borders – Survey

February 5, 2015
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Leading Global Providers of eAPIS SolutionsCanada’s Border Services Agency is working towards a U.S.-style Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) to protect its borders and is hoping for complete implementation by spring 2016.

A survey has been created by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) to assess how the new requirements will impact Canadian and U.S. pilots crossing the borders in a bid to make the transition as seamless as possible.

“This survey will provide statistical feedback to Canadian and US officials to find a solution that both addresses their goals and minimizes duplication,” said COPA Vice President of Operations Patrick Gilligan. “COPA is heavily involved in finding creative solutions to minimize the detrimental consequences that any additional requirements will have on our sector of aviation.”

The survey, which can be completed anonymously if required, will aim to assess the general ‘feeling’ of pilots conducting cross-border leisure and personal flights – whether they think that the implementation of a system will impact flight operations in a detrimental way.

The survey will also attempt to gain a general consensus about the introduction of a single portal for the transmission of pilot and passenger data to the Canadian Border Services Agency.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) are working with COPA to ensure that the implementation of an eAPIS mandate remains seamless.

“We’re really working to find a way to make this as transparent as possible,” said Tom Zecha, AOPA manager of aviation security. “We encourage AOPA members who cross the border—or even those who don’t but think they might someday—to complete the survey to convey the impact a duplicate system would have on cross-border operations.”

Biometric eBorders Technology for Emirates Airports

February 3, 2015
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Biometric eBorders Solutions ProvidersLast week saw a deal signed with French biometric security firm, Morpho (Safran) and the UAE for a range of biometric eBorders technology solutions to be installed in the Emirates’ biggest international airports.

The first installations will take place at Abu Dhabi airport this year, followed by four other airports to create a fully integrated multi-biometric border control system across the UAE.

There will be 96 e-Gates and 94 e-Counters, which will help to expedite passenger processing with the inclusion of touchless fingerprinting, iris and facial recognition systems.

Biometric eBorders technology is a fast-paced industry, embracing enhancements and developing more efficient and effective ways to manage a growing passenger throughput. The need for solutions to manage international borders efficiently, yet maintain security is critical. As threats to national security increase all over the world, the pressure upon governments and border security agencies also intensifies.

Governments and agencies must be able to screen passenger information swiftly and data such as Advance Passenger Information must be transmitted securely. eBorders systems are able to handle critical aviation messaging in addition to the physical screening of passengers in airports.

Biometric eBorders solutions could be the answer to streamlining the entire border management system and must eventually be integrated on a global scale.

Immigration Pre-Clearance for Passengers Bound for U.S. from Abu Dhabi

January 13, 2015
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API Helps to Maintain Security While Expediting Passenger Processing - Find out more...UAE passengers bound for the U.S. will be able to enjoy immigration pre-clearance from this week, avoiding queues on arrival by undertaking immigration, customs and agriculture inspections at terminal three of Abu Dhabi airport where U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) facilities are in place.

Conditional requirements will be the provision of Advance Passenger Information and an individual, machine-readable passport. In addition, passengers must also produce a return or onward ticket for departure from the U.S. within a 90-day window of departure.

For passengers of Etihad Airways flying to New York JFK, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas, the service will be available from January 15. The facility is currently available in six other countries and 15 airports outside North America.

Indira Ghandi Airport Launch APIS for Improved Security

December 15, 2014
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APIS & PNR Transmission Solutions ProvidersIndian airports will soon step up its efforts to control smuggling and track ‘persons of interest’ through its launch of Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) this month.

The APIS system has been developed by the National Informatics Centre with assistance from the Directorate General of Systems under the Finance Ministry and is set for launch at Indira Ghandi International Airport.

The system will operate in much the same way as the US and European APIS systems with the provision of an electronic database of all passengers and flight crew, with the addition of a manifest of all personnel entering and exiting the airport terminals.

APIS is designed to enable government and border agencies access to Advance Passenger Information which can then be screened to identify potential threats to national and international security. The system is mandatory in the US and is proving to be a great asset to agencies in the tracking of terrorist movements. APIS requirements are spreading around the globe as more and more countries take a stand in the threat of terrorism.

APIS providers have a responsibility to ensure that Advance Passenger Information is collected, stored and distributed securely, swiftly and reliably to be of the greatest use to agencies all over the world.

New Self-Service Bag Drop & Security Systems for Gatwick Airport

December 14, 2014
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Providers of Baggage Handling Systems in AirportsA £1 billion investment plan has been announced for Gatwick Airport as it marks its five-year milestone of independent ownership.

The airport has seen improvements to its South Terminal and the next investment plans are for the North Terminal, where £36 million will be spent on a brand new check-in area, featuring what is hailed to be the world’s largest self-service bag drop zone. 60 bag drop units will be expected to virtually eliminate queueing and will free up valuable terminal space while helping airlines with cost-sharing opportunities in a multi-airline bag drop facility.

A new security area will benefit from £30 million and is expected to open in 2016. Gatwick anticipate that the streamlined process of passenger screening will enable them to handle 5,000 passengers per hour with new features such as reconfigured lanes and floor wayfinding; systems that have been rigorously tested during the ‘Generation 2’ trials.

Queues are also expected to be reduced by the introduction of 15 new e-gates, effectively speeding up the passenger processing system and greatly enhancing the experience for travellers.

Stewart Wingate, CEO at London Gatwick is delighted with the new plans and said, “It’s been an incredible five years and this is just the start. Gatwick is changing for the better and the fresh £1 billion investment is a clear signal that we intend to become London’s airport of choice.”

Advanced Border Control Improvements for Zurich Airport

December 10, 2014
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Other Advanced Border Management Systems ProvidersZurich Airport has made improvements to its border management system with the installation of a new biometric Advanced Border Control System from Secunet AG. The system upgrade has given Zurich Airport an almost automated process for checking passenger documentation and has also increased flexibility for the airport, almost completely replacing the previous infrastructure for border management.

The inclusion of a fingerprint reader ensures Swiss compliance with mandatory regulations (VIS II) and electronic passport readers have streamlined the passenger processing system for the inspection and checking of identification.

The new system offers airport police the opportunity to access real-time information as the Secunet technology serves as a central interface.

“Travellers and border control staff now have access to the most state-of-the-art border control system in Europe,” said Dr. Rainer Baumgart, chairman of the board at Secunet AG. “The highly modular Secunet biomiddle solution and the new user interface, developed in partnership with the Zurich Cantonal Police, have set new standards in border control technology.”

Airport workstations have been connected to Swiss Police databases as a major part of the infrastructure upgrade process.

As airport traffic increases exponentially each year by an average of 5%, the need for streamlined automated border control processes also increases if ground delays are to be minimised and operational productivity at a high level.

Automated border control technology providers are under increasing pressure to maintain high levels of security across borders all over the world.

Automated Border Control Solutions in Germany

November 17, 2014
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Other Automated Border Control Solutions ProvidersAccording to Georg Hasse, Senior Product Manager of the Portfolio of Electronic Identities at Secunet, leading German IT security company, this year has been an excellent year in terms of sales and industry technological advancements. Europe is expected to dominate the automated border control market over the next five years, so recent research from Acuity tells us, and Germany are embracing the latest technology for biometric border control.

What is being dubbed the ‘border control revolution’ in some corners of the industry, involves the use of biometric recognition in the form of electronic passports, VISAs and residence permits – a growing trend that is quickly spreading as the entire system offers enhanced border security, while keeping operational costs to a minimum.

Across the globe, border security is a hot topic as the threat of terrorism is tackled with a bid to track and monitor the movements of potential persons of interest.

Secunet has been working closely with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in the field of biometrics for many years, notes Mr Hasse. Secunet prefers to look at the subject of identity protection as a process, rather than a single solution. He said, “This is a decisive advantage for our customers: our biometrics specialists have a better understanding of the effects a new project will have on previous or subsequent process stages than anyone else. For our customers, this guarantees smooth integration of their solution into the overall process. Within the biometrics industry we are well known for our BioAPI 2.0 compliant biometric middleware Secunet biomiddle that is being used by various public authorities in Europe as a platform for their border control and visa applications. This middleware is also an integral part of our eGate solution Secunet easygate that is currently being rolled out at German airports within EasyPASS, the German ABC project. In addition we offer a modular Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solution called Secunet eID PKI Suite that is being used in the border control context with modern eMRTDs.”

Earlier this month, the UK government raised issues about the provision of Advance Passenger Information to further strengthen directives to protect European borders. Currently the E.U. carry strict policy restrictions for the handling of passenger data. It will be interesting to watch the debate continue in light of the growth of biometric border security solutions industry.

Data Sharing Requirements Up in the Air Between UK & Germany

November 10, 2014
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Reliable Data Sharing from Leading APIS ProvidersSome German carriers could find themselves out in the cold with suspended UK flights if UK Government directives concerning the provision of Advance Passenger Information are passed, but not complied with.

Issues could arise as the UK border control system mirrors a similar system in the U.S. and asks for mandatory delivery of Advance Passenger Information in order for security services to monitor the movements of potential persons of interest as they travel to or pass through the UK. However, other countries in the E.U. would need to amend areas of their privacy laws in order for the system to be effective.

UK Home Office secretary, Mr Mark Sedwill issued a statement according to the Guardian newspaper, “We are looking in future legislation at taking mandatory powers. We are working with all the airlines. We have 90% of Advance Passenger Information.”

Advance Passenger Information (API) includes the personal details of passengers and flight crew and in some instances also contains methods of payment and itinerary details. In the U.S. API is a mandatory requirement and assists security agencies with monitoring and tracking of ‘at risk’ passengers.

Continuing, Mr Sedwill said, “We are in discussions, which for obvious reasons I have to keep somewhat private, with other EU countries to change their data protection legislation in order to require this data of the carrier.”

Other German airlines include Lufthansa and Germania. The debate will continue and was due to be discussed during the recent G6 summit in Paris last week.

U.N. Approval for New Rules to Track Foreign Fighters

October 14, 2014
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Worldwide Passenger Data Transfer ProvidersThe U.N. Security Council have called for new measures to help curb the movement of potential terrorists. Drafted by the U.S. the measures received unanimous approval from the Security Council, who intend to clamp down on funding and recruitment opportunities amongst the militant groups.

U.S. President, Mr Barack Obama said that it is believed that around 15,000 fighters have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State or Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliated group, from more than 80 nations. Speaking about the crisis at an unusual Security Council session, Mr Obama said, “The tactic of terrorism is not new. What brings us together today, what is new, is the unprecedented flow of fighters in recent years to and from conflict zones, including Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Libya, and most recently, Syria and Iraq.”

Strengthened steps will be taken to prevent suspected foreign terrorist fighters from entering their territories or passing through borders. Part of the plan is the widespread provision of Advance Passenger Information (API), currently mandatory in the U.S. and spreading throughout the world.

Mandatory provision of API, which includes passenger details, destination countries and methods of payment in some cases, can help governments and border agencies to track the movements of travellers, thus indicating potential high-risk passengers for further investigation. The resolution also includes a strengthening of the legal framework for international action by the suggestion of a passage of legislation that can give countries greater flexibility for the prosecution of suspected foreign fighters.

The U.N. have also encouraged member states to be more co-operative with information-sharing.

“Foreign terrorist fighters increase the intensity, duration and intractability of conflicts, and also may pose a serious threat to their states of origin, the states they transit and the states to which they travel,” the resolution said. More efficient methods of sharing information is what is called for to discourage recruitment, organisation and financing of terrorist movements and the aim of the resolution is to make this as difficult as possible.

Ireland Calls for Advance Passenger Information in Joint EU Plan

October 12, 2014
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Advance Passenger Information ProvidersIreland has called for a co-ordinated push in the EU to crack down on terrorism and organised crime, following a decision with Britain to share intelligence on selected flights.

Advance Passenger Information (API) from all ports should be shared across Europe, which, according to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, ‘is a tool of proven potential’.

It has been indicated through military intelligence and information supplied to the British Government by the Garda Special Branch that Ireland has been used as a base for regular visits to Iraq and Syria by up to 30 jihadis, which has led to increased surveillance efforts in a bid to track their movements.

The minister said that the strengthening of security of national and international borders was a ‘key element in protecting our citizens from terrorist threats’ and that API exchange was a ‘major boost towards achieving that objective’.

API is transmitted electronically to the governments and border agencies of destination countries. It is usually collected at the time of booking. The U.S. operate mandatory API collection, but as yet, the system is not mandatory in other countries, although many agencies are calling for the collection of passenger data across the world to keep borders secure with the advance notification of potentially high-risk passengers.