US immigration officials are considering making airlines and cruiselines responsible for collecting biometric identifiers from non-US citizens as they exit the country.
The move has been met with fierce opposition by members of the National Business Travel Association, who argue that national security functions should be managed and funded by the federal government.
NBTA President and CEO, Kevin Maguire, said: “The US-VISIT exit plan is the latest in a series of proposals to burden airlines with the collection, storage and distribution of additional passenger data.
“Each of these cascading requirements would further increase the cost of travel, creating an undue burden on the already uncertain US economy.
“Once again, NBTA calls on the various government agencies to work together to find a common approach to travel passenger data that will meet the country’s needs for the foreseeable future.â€
By:Bev Fearis
