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Commercial carriers

This section explains what we require from commercial carriers under the e-Borders programme and how we will support them during implementation. Aviation commercial carriers include both scheduled carriers and charter carriers.

We will:

  • contact each carrier individually in the initial stages of the programme to explain these requirements before we implement them;
  • provide a stakeholder relationship manager as the first point of contact for any questions carriers may have; and
  • aim to give carriers the appropriate level of information and support for their involvement in the programme.

We recognise that a number of carriers will want to have access to information in order to plan their activities and to communicate with their suppliers. However, they should wait for the formal engagement process to begin before they actively begin work on the programme.

See Start-up phase for information on the initial stages of implementing the e-Borders programme.

See Carrier interface development phase for information on the building and testing of the interface(s) we will require to supply information to the e-Borders programme.

See Certification phase for information on the validation process that each interface will undergo to ensure it is ready to enter live service with e-Borders.

See Live service phase for information on the operational phase of the programme, which is when data will be sent by carriers to the live e-Borders system.

Terms explained

  • Carrier

    A person or organisation that transports passengers or goods in and out of the United Kingdom.

  • Commercial carriers

    Organisations that carry paying passengers in and out of the United Kingdom.

  • Scheduled carriers

    These are carriers (usually of passengers) that operate on fixed routes and to fixed schedules.

  • Stakeholder relationship manager

    This is the person we assign as our main point of contact with carriers while we are introducing our e-Borders programme.

  • e-Borders

    e-Borders is the name of a programme we have set up to introduce electronic border control to the United Kingdom by 2014.  It will collect and analyse passenger and crew information provided electronically by carriers (airlines, rail and shipping companies) before travel starts on all journeys to and from the United Kingdom.

All glossary terms