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HOW PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION REDUCES RISKS AND FACILITATES TRAVEL

POSITIONING PAPER

Exporting the border

POSITIONING PAPER [DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION FOOTER) | © SITA 2013 33

CONTENTS

Managing growth and risk in travel 4

Trends and drivers for pre-travel authorization 5

Multi-layered approach to pre-travel authorization 6

Deploying pre-travel authorization 8

Why SITA 9

Use cases 10

EXPORTING THE BORDER POSITIONING PAPER | © SITA 2015

POSITIONING PAPER [DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION FOOTER) | © SITA 20134

Worldwide international air travel is still on an upward trajectory. According to annual figures from IATA, global airline passenger numbers rose by 5.9% in 2014 over the previous year to a record 3.3 billion.1

Nearly half of this traffic growth came from airlines based in emerging markets, particularly the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East regions.

Around 60% of this air traffic is international, which means that many more travelers will have to pass through border controls – often at both the origination and destination airports.

One way to improve security without creating long waiting lines or increasing resources is to export the border to the country of origin through pre-travel authorization. This way, border agencies are able to process travelers in advance of travel and prevent unauthorized persons from actually making their journey in the first place.

MANAGING GROWTH AND RISK IN TRAVEL


BORDER SECURITY PRESSURESWith public sector budgets slashed across the board, border agencies face the dilemma of processing increasing numbers of travelers with fewer resources.

In addition, border agencies are under pressure to remain ‘open for business’ by reducing border queues to a reasonable level, while still protecting the country against threats and illegal immigration. This challenge is exacerbated by widespread fraud and identity theft, which makes accurate document and identity verification essential.

1 Strong Demand for Air Travel Rises in 2014: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2015-02-05-01.aspx

THIS PAPER EXAMINES HOW GOVERNMENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION USING A COMBINATION OF TECHNOLOGY, SYSTEMS INTEGRATION, NETWORK CONNECTIVITY AND PROCESSES SHARED BETWEEN BORDER MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS, SUCH AS AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS.


Pre-travel authorization addresses this problem by providing high-quality data that governments can validate in advance of passengers boarding their flight. This then presents them with the option to prevent departure of travelers who would likely be deemed inadmissible upon arrival.

By preventing the departure of inadmissible inbound persons and stopping data errors and inaccuracies, pre-travel authorization increases security while reducing delays at the border for all passengers.

ROLE IN OUTBOUND TRAVELGetting data in advance of travel also has an important role to play in stopping certain people from exiting a country. This can include criminals that police want to apprehend, football hooligans with travel bans, or even people looking to join overseas terrorist organizations.

The concept behind pre-travel authorization is not new. For years travelers have been required to acquire visas to visit certain countries – and these are a form of pre-travel authorization.

Visas remain and have seen many changes over the past couple of decades, including a switch from paper to more secure electronic visas. However, many governments only require a minority of all foreign visitors to obtain a visa in advance of travel. And historically, little has been known about arriving travelers that are not required to obtain a visa until they arrive at the port of entry.

GOOD DATA REQUIREDWithout good data in advance of travel, all checks on travelers must be carried out upon arrival, often resulting in lengthy wait times at the border. While many border agencies already receive some passenger data provided by airlines, it is often incomplete or inaccurate. Furthermore it is often only available shortly before or after the flight has actually left.

This means that the majority of processing is still carried out upon arrival and governments must shoulder the burden of processing inadmissible travelers on the border. The costs of which can run into tens of thousands of dollars for a single inadmissible traveler when the costs of detention, processing and repatriation are considered.

TRENDS AND DRIVERS FOR PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION



So what exactly are we talking about when we talk about pre-travel authorization? We see it as a multi-layered approach to collecting and distributing information that allows border agencies to assess travelers’ risk profiles in advance of travel.

In effect, pre-travel authorization exports the border by providing information to prevent ineligible travelers from even boarding the flight. This both increases the safety of the country by keeping security risks out and facilitates the journey of the remainder who have been cleared in advance. It also opens up the way for further automation of the border control.

ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONA growing trend is the use of electronic travel authorization (ETA) systems to pre-authorize travel for travelers from countries considered to be low risk. Typically, these travelers would have been offered visa-free travel under a visa-waiver scheme. The use of ETAs closes a security gap by ensuring that travelers from visa-waiver countries are vetted well in advance of travel, while at the same time providing greater convenience for travelers who can apply online for their ETA.

Travelers provide their passport, contact details, purpose and duration of travel as well as additional data such as their occupation depending upon each country’s requirements. This can be done over the Internet or via their airline or travel agent, and may attract a small charge that governments use to fund their ETA program. In some cases they incentivize airlines and travel agents to help travelers to obtain their ETA.

Using ETAs allows governments to vet travelers before travel, such as by checking watch lists and databases to see if there is any reason not to admit the applicant. If the traveler’s ETA application is refused, the traveler is typically referred to the nearest consulate to discuss their case. When the traveler is cleared for travel, they will be registered on the government’s database.

Typically the ETA vetting process takes a few hours to a few days, with travelers being able to obtain their result online. Governments can choose to offer ETAs that allow multiple entries or which are for specific travel purposes with rules and fees that are specific to the ETA type.

Because the traveler has been pre-cleared before travel, the arrivals process at the port of entry is faster since the passenger is pre-screened. The whole process can be made even more secure with the use of biometrics to validate the traveler’s identity against their e-Passport.

VISA ISSUANCEIssuing visas is still a very important part of national immigration strategies, particularly for travelers from higher-risk countries. However, in many countries the visa system is ready for modernization. Legacy paper or stamp-based visas provide inadequate protection against identity fraud and can be difficult to administer and obtain, with travelers often having to visit a consulate in person. Electronic visas secured with biometrics are a much more secure alternative than legacy paper visas.

However, visa regimes can be very complex and involve many different agencies. Australia, for example, has over 100 distinct visa types.2 Furthermore visa applications can involve many parties, such as sponsors and agents, and have complex conditions attached. This makes it vital that any changes to a traveler’s visa status are available in real time at the border so that border officials can make the right decision whether or not to admit a traveler.

MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH TO PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION


2 Source: Australian Government (http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/Visa-listing)


ADVANCE PASSENGER PROCESSINGThe final piece in the pre-travel authorization jigsaw is interactive API (i-API) which integrates the pre-travel authorization process with airlines’ check-in processes. Once an airline check-in agent has swiped the passenger’s passport, this data captured from the passport is combined with the flight details and sent to the authorities of the destination country and, in some cases, those of the departure country as well.

The receiving governments can then issue a board or no-board instruction based on their assessment of the passenger’s eligibility, which is relayed to the airline check-in agent. The whole process takes seconds and is available globally through the airline’s existing check-in systems.

There are many different reasons the interactive API system could provide a no-board directive, such as the traveler doesn’t have the right travel documentation, ETA or visa, or they are on a watch list. If required, the check-in agent can call someone at the border agency to discuss and resolve a no-board directive. Interactive API checks can also take place during online or kiosk check-in, in which case the traveler is instructed to check in at a counter if they receive a no-board directive.

Interactive API provides the mechanism for countries to export their border, because check-in agents can act as a virtual primary line in a third-party country. In fact, one SITA customer was able to build its business case for the system simply on the savings on the cost of processing illegal migrants that arrive at the border.


SITA’S INTERACTIVE API SYSTEM, WHICH WE CALL ADVANCE PASSENGER PROCESSING (APP), IS THE GLOBAL LEADER IN THIS AREA, WITH 11 GOVERNMENTS AND 130 AIRLINES CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM, PERFORMING MORE THAN 200 MILLION TRANSACTIONS PER ANNUM.


DEPLOYING PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION


Integration is perhaps the key challenge for border agencies looking to deploy pre-travel authorization systems.

For example, many government departments will have their own data silos and systems that all are vital to provide a full risk assessment of each traveler. This can include visa systems, passport databases, watch lists, criminal records and customs information.

In our deployment of ETA and APP in Australia, we integrated more than 20 separate databases to get the information required – including dealing with legacy systems across multiple government departments by implementing strategies that supported a real-time response to the airlines.

In addition to the integration of government systems, deploying ETA and APP also requires integration with airline and other travel systems worldwide. To help border agencies achieve this we have a specific airline engagement team that facilitates the relationship with airlines during rollout of a major border management solution.

SPEED AND RESILIENCESuccessful deployment of pre-travel authorization involves a range of different stakeholders and integration with network and airlines systems. For example, for APP to be usable in an airport environment, the boarding directive must be issued in an average of three seconds. Otherwise, it’s likely to cause unacceptable delays in passenger processing. In addition, APP must be very resilient, so that airlines can access the system at all times with no downtime.

RISK MANAGEMENTAn important element of the pre-travel authorization process is risk management. Although not strictly part of pre-travel authorization, risk management provides the framework for assessing whether a traveler needs to be prevented from boarding their flight, or identified for further questioning.

Traveler risk is assessed from a wide range of sources, including watch lists and airline data, as well as using advanced analytics to identify patterns or trends. The latter can help detect terrorists, organized criminals, smugglers or illegal migrants based on their travel patterns and booking data provided by the airlines.

BENEFITS OF INTEGRATED PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION The benefits of pre-travel authorization are clear. By acquiring information on travelers before travel, governments can carry out risk assessment and prevent inadmissible travelers from making their journey. Further, modern e-visa and electronic travel authorization (ETA) and APP processes provide increased security for the government and facilitate the journey for the traveler.

• Exporting the border: pushes the border out to the departure airport to carry out risk management on travelers before departure.

• Enhanced security: end-to-end system ensures that the latest security information is available. Electronic visas and identity checks using biometrics prevent identity fraud.

• Reduced costs: fewer inadmissible travelers at the primary line means less resources required. Also allows travelers to resolve problems with paperwork in advance of travel.

• Convenience for travelers: shorter queues at border control and simpler visa regimes drives tourism and trade. Works with existing processes, such as online check-in and booking.

• Airline savings: reduces costs for airlines by avoiding fines and cost of repatriating inadmissible travelers.

• Complete solution: covers all travelers – nationals requiring visas, visa waiver countries, residents and citizens.


WHY SITA


SITA is in a unique position because we operate both in the government and air transport industry (ATI) sectors.

Our role in the ATI means that we can act as an intermediary between the travel industry and governments, and we have extensive experience integrating ATI and government systems.

In addition, we are a pioneer in pre-travel authorization and deployed our first system in Australia in 1996 with the Electronic Travel Authority System (ETAS) and later Advance Passenger Processing (APP) in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics.

iBORDERS® TRAVELAUTHORIZATIONiBorders® TravelAuthorization offers a complete solution for pre-travel authorization. Access is available through the internet for traveler self-service or through existing airline and travel agency systems, thus providing seamless integration with existing travel industry processes. As part of deployment, we carry out integration with existing government databases and watch lists via other iBorders® modules. This ensures that admissibility decisions are always based on the latest and most accurate risk assessment data.

iBorders® TravelAuthorization includes three main components:

• Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA): end-to-end system that allows travelers to obtain an ETA and receive approval. Business rules for business and tourist ETAs are supported, with optional payment. Visitors and airlines can query ETA status online.

• Visa issuance: full e-visa issuance and management system. It allows visitors and sponsors to apply via an online portal. It provides visa vetting to cover eligibility, watch list, identity and immigration status checks along with validation of quotas and sponsor registrations. The system also provides functionality to resolve problem cases, notification of approvals, renewals, extensions, cancellations and sponsor management.

• InteractiveData: our Advance Passenger Processing (APP) system allows real-time denial-of-boarding checks at flight check-in. Data known in the industry as interactive API is exchanged between airlines and the iBorders® system. Denial of boarding checks may include final watch list and risk assessment checks as well as validation of travel documents against the ETA, visa and passport and other databases.

This has become the benchmark for many other electronic travel authorization systems. Our core pre-travel authorization system iBorders® TravelAuthorization pre-approves more than 200 million travelers per year.

Finally, our role as a global network service provider also means that we are able to supply the infrastructure to support border management solutions virtually everywhere where airlines operate, with the resilience and low network latency required to support real-time interaction between airlines and governments.

10 EXPORTING THE BORDER POSITIONING PAPER | © SITA 2015

USE CASES

AUSTRALIA: PIONEERING ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION IN 1996In partnership with SITA, the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) pioneered pre-travel authorization with the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authority System (ETAS) in 1996.

Passengers apply for authorization online or through their airline or travel agent at the time of making their travel reservation, receiving an immediate confirmation. By providing advance notice of intent to travel, ETAS gives Australia the opportunity to pre-screen travelers against known wanted persons and risk profiles, improving overall security.

ETAS enabled Australia to cope with a huge influx of visitors to the Sydney Olympic Games in year 2000, without compromising border security. Today Australia processes over 2.5 million ETAS transactions a year using iBorders and 3.5 million ETAS queries.

Australia further enhanced its innovative approach to border operations with the implementation of Advance Passenger Processing (APP), which integrated pre-travel authorization into the airline check-in process, allowing Australia to perform additional pre-screening shortly before flight departure, with the ability to authorize or deny the boarding of each traveler in real time.

The use of APP is mandatory in Australia and has been implemented by all airlines flying to the country, with 99.8% of APP transactions taking less than 2.5 seconds – a remarkable achievement given flights to Australia originate from all over the globe.

SOUTH AFRICA: STRENGTHENING BORDERS IN ADVANCE OF 2010 FIFA WORLD CUPIn preparation for the World Cup in 2010, South Africa needed to overhaul its borders to process hundreds of thousands of visitors. It wanted to improve border security, create a more secure environment and reduce the administrative burden of security. At the same time, it wished to accelerate passenger processing at its airports – ultimately enhancing the traveler experience.

In February 2009, the government chose SITA’s InteractiveData system. Implemented in just nine months, the system effectively moved South Africa’s borders to the point of departure. It enabled both airlines and governments to transfer passport details in an interactive and real-time manner as passengers checked in for their flights.

In June and July 2010 alone, South Africa processed more than 1.5 million passengers using InteractiveData. Approximately 350 were subjected to extra examination, while more than 60 people were prevented from entering the country because their names appeared on either South Africa’s Visa and Entry Stop List or watch lists (provided by Interpol and football’s governing body FIFA).

In addition, more than 80% of airlines who used the system on flights to South Africa were also able to reduce their administrative and turnaround costs, while eliminating fines associated with transporting incorrectly documented or otherwise inadmissible travelers.

MIDDLE EAST: MANAGING THE STRATEGIC CROSSROADS FOR GLOBAL TRAVELSitting at the crossroads between East and West, the Middle East has always been a strategic area for air travel, trade, tourism, business and investments. Growth has been explosive and is set to continue driven by visionary leadership and the ongoing investment in infrastructure.

However, the Middle East’s attractiveness is not limited to legitimate travelers, because its strategic location makes it a target for terrorism. As international air travel increases, the authorities need to maintain and enhance the current high level of security and public safety, in order to maintain attractiveness for locals, foreign residents, and visitors alike.

The challenge for governments is to deal with the ever-increasing numbers of air travelers entering and leaving. Improved facilitation – the faster processing of passengers – is vital to support economic growth. But this must be combined with enhanced security to guard against trans-national crime, illegal immigration, smuggling, drug trafficking and terrorism.

Collecting and screening air travel data in advance of travel is a powerful and proven technique to do both. It increases security and makes border clearance both simpler and faster for the great majority of passengers. Although many countries around the world have implemented border management systems of limited scope – often in a piece-meal fashion – SITA has helped many countries in the Middle East by deploying fully integrated border management systems, allowing them to become world leaders in air transport security and facilitation.

For further information, please contact SITA by telephone or e-mail:

Americas+1 770 850 4500 [email protected]

Asia Pacific+65 6545 3711 [email protected]

Europe+41 22 747 6111 [email protected]

Middle East, India & Africa+961 1 637300 [email protected]

SITA AT A GLANCE

The air transport industry is the most dynamic and exciting community on earth – and SITA is its heart.

Our vision is to be the chosen technology partner of the industry, a position we will attain through flawless customer service and a unique portfolio of IT and communications solutions that covers the industry’s every need 24/7.

We are the innovators of the industry. Our experts and developers keep it fuelled with a constant stream of ground-breaking products and solutions. We are the ones who see the potential in the latest technology and put it to work.

Our customers include airlines, airports, GDSs and governments. We work with around 430 air transport industry members and 2,800 customers in over 200 countries and territories.

We are open, energetic and committed. We work in collaboration with our partners and customers to ensure we are always delivering the most effective, most efficient solutions.

We own and operate the world’s most extensive communications network. It’s the vital asset that keeps the global air transport industry connected.

We are 100% owned by the air transport industry – a unique status that enables us to understand and respond to its needs better than anyone.

Our annual IT surveys for airlines, airports and passenger self-service are industry-renowned and the only ones of their kind.

We sponsor .aero, the top-level internet domain reserved exclusively for aviation.

In 2014, we had consolidated revenues of US$1.7 billion.

For further information, please visit www.sita.aero

© SITA 15-THW-108-1 All trademarks acknowledged. Specifications subject to change without prior notice. This literature provides outline information only and (unless specifically agreed to the contrary by SITA in writing) is not part of any order or contract.

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HOW PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION REDUCES RISKS AND FACILITATES ... · PDF fileHOW PRE-TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION REDUCES RISKS AND FACILITATES TRAVEL ... It also opens up the way for further