Gone With the Wind?: The Inherent Conflict between API/PNR and Privacy Rights in an Increasingly Security-Conscious World

Advance Passenger Information (‘API’) and Passenger Name Record (‘PNR’) are an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in the international aviation industry. In the absence of mandatory content and transmission requirements, an increase in the number of countries requiring such data has resulted in significant complexity and expense associated with compliance. Simultaneously, the transfer of API and PNR data runs directly counter to privacy rights of residents of the European Union and other countries with strict privacy legislation, rendering compliance even more difficult. This article explores the background of API and PNR, the international guidance materials regarding content and transmission, the lack of harmonization between the different API and PNR regimes currently in effect, privacy and data protection philosophies and prioritization in the United States and the European Union and the interplay between privacy and API/PNR, the current reality facing airlines, and the emerging trend towards increased data transfers at the expense of privacy.