Stiff US security rules may cripple transatlantic flights
Five-hour check-ins and jams could deter passengers, British travel agents fear
The planned introduction of new security rules by the US Department of Homeland Security this summer could wreak chaos on transatlantic flights, Britain's air travel industry says.
A requirement for extra information on passengers before they board US-bound planes could result in check-in queues of up to five hours this summer, further clogging already crowded airports such as Heathrow.
But the move was unlikely to have any effect on US-bound air travel from Asia, local airline officials said, as it has long had to abide by such rules and travellers have gotten used to it.
The Association of British Travel Agents said its studies suggested the data requested by the advanced passenger information system (APIS) would mean an extra 30 seconds per passenger to process.
Under the system, airlines would be asked to e-mail information about passengers to the US before departure, data that could include name and passport details, country of residence and where the passenger will stay in the US.
Cathay Pacific Airways spokeswoman Lisa Wong said it has had to abide by the APIS requirements for the past decade, 'well before the rule changes made since the terror attacks of September 11'.
'We normally collect this information from passengers at the check-in counter and then send it electronically to the relevant US authorities before the aircraft's departure,' she said.
Ms Wong said the airline was not aware of new or additional APIS requirements.
In London, the travel agents' association said the prospect of long lines would lead to chaos at airports and deter many of the 4 million Britons who flew to the US each year. 'That could mean adding three hours on top of the mandatory two hours check-in for those boarding a busy jumbo,' a spokesman said.
The British Airport Authority, which runs Gatwick and Heathrow airports, said it did not yet know what information would be collected or how the airlines would collect it, but feared if a large amount of data was required it could affect already congested terminals.
A spokesman said: 'We have concerns about the knock-on effects on business, such as the extra space needed to cope with longer queues, the prospect of being able to accommodate fewer flights and the resulting drop in demand for air travel.'
The main losers may be charter passengers, as scheduled airlines such as British Airways and Virgin have plans in place to collect information when a passenger buys a ticket, either online or over the phone, and e-mail them to the US to cut down on queues.
