Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Airports to have APIS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Immigration authorities will be able to scan passenger manifests for terror threats, illegal entrants, wanted suspects and take action against contraband with the introduction of the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) from April.

Modelled on the APIS introduced in the United States after 9/11, the advanced technical system is being introduced in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi airports.

Aviation sources said the authorities had already written to the Thiruvananthapuram international airport asking for space in the terminal for installing the system.

With the introduction of the APIS, all international airlines will have to provide information on passengers and the crew within 15 minutes of taking off to the country.

The pilots of incoming flights will have to pass on the traveller’s full name, date of birth, nationality, sex, passport number, country of issuing passport, country of permanent residence, visa number and place and date of issue.

Aviation sources said immigration authorities in the airports would be able to crosscheck details like nationality and countries visited from the databases and track movement of suspicious persons.

Besides, the authorities would be able to clear the passengers expeditiously on their arrival as they would have the passenger manifest with them in advance.

Official sources said this data would be kept confidential and shared only with security agencies. The APIS had been introduced in view of the threats posted to aircraft by international terror outfits especially after 9/11.

It is already operational in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Mexico, South Africa, Bahrain and Japan.

A gazette notification was issued on March 2005 amending the Foreign Order, 1948, to introduce the APIS in the country.

Pilots of incoming aircraft who fail to provide the required information will be liable for punishment with imprisonment up to five years and fine as per Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.

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