New requirements for passengers to UK

There will be new compulsory requirements for passengers travelling to the UK from October, Air Malta said yesterday.

The regulations shall be applicable to all passengers independent of nationality.

Trusted Borders, which was appointed by the UK Home Office to manage the e-borders programme, has requested all airlines to provide passenger and crew information of all flights entering the UK.

The data that will be passed on to the agency will include each passenger's name and surname, travel document type, document number, expiry date, issuing country, gender, date of birth, nationality and passenger name record (reservation details).

This information, which the airline will gather at the time of reservation, will be passed on to Trusted Borders 30 minutes prior to departure for every flight. The airline will have to await permission from the UK agency for the aircraft to leave Malta.

Passengers who refuse to provide this information will not be allowed to travel to the UK.