Leading global and regional aviation industry bodies have issued an urgent, unified appeal to governments across Africa—including Kenya—to align their national passenger data collection systems with established international standards.
The joint declaration, spearheaded by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), warns that fragmented national regulations and newly imposed government security fees threaten to inflate airfares, weaken regional air connectivity, and undermine broader economic growth across the continent.
At the heart of the industry’s advocacy is the implementation of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) processing mechanisms. When properly executed in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), these complementary systems enable sovereign border security agencies to receive critical traveler data prior to flight departure.
This advance access allows law enforcement and immigration authorities to pre-screen and identify potential security threats effectively, while simultaneously expediting border clearance for legitimate business and leisure travelers.
However, the industry groups highlighted a troubling trend: several African states are establishing isolated, mismatched legal and operational rules. This emerging regulatory patchwork imposes heavy compliance burdens on carriers operating cross-border routes, forcing them to navigate conflicting data reporting rules, distinct submission formats, and redundant administrative hurdles across multiple jurisdictions.
For Kenya, aligning passenger data frameworks carries immense strategic importance. The country is actively strengthening its position as East Africa’s primary aviation gateway, centered around Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
Adopting harmonized, ICAO-compliant API and PNR protocols would enable Kenyan authorities to maintain rigorous national security protocols without sacrificing operational speed. This balance is crucial for safeguarding the passenger experience, driving foreign direct investment, and supporting Kenya’s vital tourism and export markets.
To address legal and operational ambiguities, AFRAA, AASA, and IATA urged African governments to establish clear statutory frameworks by designating a single competent national authority to oversee data collection, restricting information requests strictly to parameters necessary for border management and crime prevention, and enforcing robust privacy controls with short retention periods.
A major concern raised by the aviation bodies is the growing tendency of certain governments to finance national API and PNR technology programs through direct surcharges levied on airlines or passengers.
The associations stressed that this practice violates ICAO’s established policy guidelines, which explicitly state that national border control is an inherent government responsibility that should be funded through public revenue rather than aviation levies. Artificially shifting these state expenses onto commercial carriers ultimately inflates ticket prices, reduces passenger demand, and compromises the financial viability of African airlines.
In a joint statement, AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé, AASA Chief Executive Aaron Munetsi, and IATA Regional Vice President Kamil Alawadhi noted that while they support API and PNR data transfer for border security, these systems must be aligned with internationally recognized standards and funded correctly. They emphasized that a consistent, collaborative approach improves security outcomes, makes travel more seamless, safeguards personal data, and avoids unnecessary costs and complexity.
