The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) issued a joint statement on 30 July 2026 urging African governments to implement Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and global best practices.
The statement sets out four guiding principles: legality, requiring a clear legal framework aligned with international API and PNR standards; proportionality, limiting data collection to what is necessary for the stated purpose; purpose, restricting use of the data to border control, security, law enforcement and prevention of serious crime; and consistency and accuracy, calling for harmonised global formats and secure storage and transfer of the information.
The organisations also warned that API and PNR national border‑security programmes should not be financed through charges levied on airlines or passengers, citing ICAO’s Policies on Charges for Airports and Air Navigation Services (Doc 9082) which state that border security is a government responsibility and related costs must be borne by governments, otherwise travel costs rise, connectivity weakens and the economic benefits of aviation are eroded.
AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé, AASA Chief Executive Aaron Munetsi and IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi said in the joint release that they support API and PNR data transfer but stressed that the systems must follow internationally recognised standards and be funded correctly to improve security outcomes, make travel more seamless, protect personal data and avoid unnecessary cost and complexity.
IATA represents more than 370 airlines accounting for roughly 85 % of global air traffic, underscoring the industry’s expectation that African states balance security imperatives with the development of a robust aviation sector when rolling out passenger‑data regimes.
