International Airlines Get List Warning

WASHINGTON — International airlines that don’t turn over advance lists of passengers soon to be screened for possible terrorists will face much more intensive inspections, Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner warned.

Many international airlines currently provide such information to Customs on a voluntary basis. But all international carriers would be required to supply the information as part of a broader bill signed Nov. 19 by President Bush.

While the new law gives carriers that aren’t currently supplying the passenger information 60 days to come into compliance, Bonner wants more immediate action.

Bonner, in a letter to 58 airlines dated Nov. 19, urged immediate compliance with the so-called Advance Passenger Information System. If not, Bonner said that on Thursday, the service “will begin heightened inspections of international flight that pose a national security risk because they do not transmit APIS data.”

The letter was sent to 58 airlines that--as of Wednesday--were not providing Customs with advance passenger information.

Customs has received information voluntarily from participating airlines since 1988 on international air passengers, including names, birth dates, nationality and travel document numbers. The information is collected at the time of departure and transmitted to Customs while flights are en route to the United States. Information also is transmitted to Customs about crew members.