Advance flier info system from April

New Delhi: India will have an advance passenger information service (APIS), on the lines of the system in use in US, which will provide information such as passport and travel details about incoming passengers allowing immigration authorities at six Indian airports to scan the manifests for likely terror threats.
The advanced technical system will be operational at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Cochin airports from April 1. After running a pilot project for Air India, all international airlines will now have to provide information about passengers and crew within 15 minutes of taking off on flights bound for India. At present, besides the US, APIS is operational in nine countries: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, South Korea, China, Mexico, South Africa and Japan.
The system has been criticized as a form of profiling where mere nationality or ethnicity can be a reason for questioning, but security agencies feel that it gives them valuable lead time. It is also felt that immigration clearance could become easier for those who don't fall in suspect categories.
04/01/08 Vishwa Mohan/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jan 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2008, Safety Jan 2008