Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)
News
NBAA Voices Concern About CBP Proposal for GA
December 7, 2007
NBAA has written U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to express concern about the agency's proposal requiring pilots to file passenger manifests exclusively through a designated CBP Internet site before crossing the U.S. border. "The U.S. often takes for granted the wide availability of a reliable connection to the Internet," NBAA's letter states. But, "in most parts of the world, Internet availability is a scarce resource and difficult to secure." The letter notes that business aircraft are often used to travel to remote parts of the world, precisely because such locations have little or no other reliable means of connecting people – whether through the Internet or otherwise. The Association's letter cited several other concerns about the CBP proposal.
CBP Issues Final Rule on Changes to APIS Filing Requirements for Commercial Operators
August 29, 2007
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a final rule implementing changes to the timeline for APIS submissions for international commercial flights. These changes will take effect on February 19, 2008. Currently, commercial operators must file APIS no later than 15 minutes after “wheels-up” departure. In the final rule, CBP clarifies “departure” to mean the securing of aircraft doors. Operators now have the following options for APIS filings: (1) “APIS 30” allows operators to submit passenger manifests in batch form by an interactive or non-interactive method no later than 30 minutes prior to securing aircraft doors for departure; (2) “APIS Interactive Quick Query” allows transmission of manifest information as each passenger checks in, up to, but no later than, the time aircraft doors are secured. Download the final rule (220 KB, PDF).
New APIS Notification Requirement for Several Caribbean Countries
March 14, 2007
A new Electronic Advanced Passenger Information System (eAPIS) notification requirement became effective on February 1 for private and commercial flights to and from member states of the Caribbean community (CARICOM), which are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Visit the NBAA CARICOM APIS resource for more information.
eAPIS Transmission System
The eAPIS Online Transmission System, developed by CBP, is fully UN/EDIFACT formatting compliant and meets all current and future APIS data element requirements for all mandated APIS transmission types, both the TSA and CBP.
eAPIS Tips
Tail Number vs. Flight Number
The APIS system does not accept submissions well when operators enter the alphanumeric tail number (aircraft registration number, or "N number") in the "flight number" field of the eAPIS Online Transmission System. eAPIS allows operators to submit a flight number as well as the tail number.
It is strongly recommended that operators create flight numbers for their international flights. This will eliminate transmission errors and ensure that operators are not fined by Customs.
More information about the tail number issue may be found on the NBAA
APIS History page.
Non-IATA Airport Codes
When using eAPIS,
operators must use the three-character IATA code for the last foreign port of departure, prior to clearance in the United States. Operators must also use the three-character IATA code for the United States departure airport.
Not all airports have an IATA code. If departing from a United States airport with no IATA code, enter the nearest airport to your departure airport that has a code.
If departing a foreign airport for the United States that does not have an IATA code, enter "XXX" as the departure airport code.
Background Information
On April 7, 2005, Customs & Border Protection (CBP) released the final rule, "Electronic
Transmission of Passenger and Crew Manifests for Vessels and Aircraft." (272 KB, PDF)
This rule became effective on June 6, 2005, and established a conversion date of October 4, 2005 for the UN-EDIFACT transmission format for aircraft manifests. UN-EDIFACT requires additional crew member and passenger information, which is outlined in the final rule.
This rule codified pre-existing reporting requirements from TSA Security Directives and CBP regulations, and introduced some additional reporting requirements effective on and after June 6, 2005.
More information about APIS may be found on the NBAA
APIS History page.
Other References
U.S. Customs & Border Protection APIS Account Managers
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