EC workshop on the upcoming revision of the API Directive

19 April 2022: The European Commission is currently carrying out the impact assessment and aims to adopt a proposal on the API Directive by the end of 2022. 

The Commission aims to introduce improvements not only for inbound EU flights but also for intra-EU and extra-EU flights:
• for inbound EU flights, the European Commission aims to reuse the EES-ETIAS-VIS queries and transform it into API data that will be sent to an API router and then forwarded to the Member States for border control purposes. Thus, air carriers will be sending the iAPI queries for all passengers and crew to the carrier interface which will therefore be used a single window. The benefit is that air carriers will no longer be required to send the batch-API to the different authorities in the Member States. 
• for intra-EU flights, DG HOME proposes that air carriers flying intra-EU should send iAPI data only to the carrier interface which will make sure that the data gets forwarded to the Member States’ PIU.
• for outbound extra-EU flights, all the API data should also go to the carrier interface. Authorities will need iAPI information at the moment of the check-in, i.e. before passengers come to the airport. 

API identity data are supposed to be captured from Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the primary document using the chip. This should be done by the passenger at check-in using a smartphone. 
If the passenger is unable to use a smartphone, there will be no changes since the passenger will still be able to check at the airport. 

Thus, the air carrier self-checking web interfaces and mobile applications would be needed to be modified to include the mandatory reading of the MRZ. 

ERA believes it is important to clarify the different policy options, especially vis-à-vis constraints for crew. In parallel, ERA will engage bilateral discussions with DG HOME and propose an update on this legislative file during the next IAG meeting scheduled on 3 May 2022.