Did you know that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regularly receives Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) applications filed by business and general aviation flights that contain errors, making them noncompliant with CBP regulations?
The APIS filing errors can be trivial, such as gathering incorrect passenger data, making a typo on a keyboard entry, or entering “Jim” for a passenger whose passport reads “James.” But the potential headaches and delays (and, in extreme cases, fines) are not trivial.
MOBILE QUICKCLEAR TO THE RESCUE
Helping pilots and aircraft operators avoid APIS violations, while protecting all passengers’ data privacy, are the pillars behind the Jeppesen Mobile QuickClear app. An iPad application free to download from the Apple App Store at apps.apple.com, Mobile QuickClear streamlines customs clearances—making them fast, secure, accurate, and compliant with new laws and standards around privacy and data protection.
This high level of protection is possible because Jeppesen (a Boeing company) designed Mobile QuickClear in cooperation with Airside Mobile, makers of the popular Mobile Passport app. Thanks to this partnership, pilots and operators now have a simple app to manage the entire CBP process for international arrivals/departures, including same-day flight plan modifications. Better yet, Mobile QuickClear walks the pilot or operator through the entire process onscreen, from building a manifest to securely importing passenger and crew information via integration with the Mobile Passport app, to tracking landing-rights information and transmitting the manifest to CBP.
“Mobile QuickClear is free to download, easy to populate with data with the help of Mobile Passport, and simple to file,” said Matt York, senior product manager, flight operations & integration, with Boeing Digital Solutions & Analytics. “The introductory fee is $9.99 to file your APIS application electronically to CBP using Mobile QuickClear.”
FREEDOM FROM MISTAKES
Mobile QuickClear is safe and reliable for pilots, aircraft operators, and passengers because it is built upon the proven power of Mobile Passport, which provides users with secure encrypted storage and transmission of their passport data to Mobile QuickClear. Data is accessible only to the pilot and transmitted securely to CBP for review, just like an Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosk.
To eliminate opportunities for errors, crew and passengers receive an invitation for a free upgrade to Mobile Passport Plus (the premium version of the app) to scan and store their electronic passport data. Then, they will have the opportunity to review and consent to sharing their travel document information with the pilot for the relevant trip manifest in Mobile QuickClear. (Mobile QuickClear is General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR] compliant, which means it meets all required privacy regulations.) Once the pilot or operator has completed the APIS application with all necessary data, filing to CBP’s eAPIS portal is as simple as clicking on Mobile QuickClear’s “Transmit to CBP” button. (Payment is by credit card per filing; no subscription fees or external memberships are required.)
“Working with Mobile Passport, Mobile QuickClear allows passengers to submit their passport information electronically to the pilot,” said York. “There is no possibility that their passport information can be transposed or changed or written down wrong. There is thus no chance for input errors to occur.”
Accurate passport data is just one of Mobile QuickClear’s benefits. By filing this data through CBP’s eAPIS portal, pilots learn right away whether their manifest submissions have been approved; there’s no waiting. Users can also follow a step-by-step checklist, and keep a record of landing rights and communications with CBP right in the app. This provides secure, trusted documentation should a review be required after the fact.
As a last compliance step prior to taking off, Mobile QuickClear will prompt the pilot to physically verify passengers’ passport information. This ensures the data that was transmitted matches what the CBP agent on the ground will review.
“We also provide solid security for Mobile QuickClear users,” said York. “For instance, the data shared between Mobile Passport users and pilots with Mobile QuickClear is transmitted device to device; it isn’t stored on any external server. And, the Mobile Passport data is automatically erased from the Mobile QuickClear app seven days after filing, minimizing its availability to unauthorized users.”
Finally, with Mobile QuickClear, pilots can easily update their APIS filings to reflect manifest and flight plan changes without incurring any additional fees. This flexibility encourages users to be as accurate and up-to-date as possible with their APIS filings while protecting them from inadvertent mistakes.
BACKED BY AIRCRAFT OPERATORS
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) also provided input on the development of Mobile QuickClear, to be certain that the app truly meets the needs of pilots. “Innovative applications like Mobile QuickClear are critical for the future of aviation,” said Mark Baker, president and CEO of AOPA. “Simplifying the international customs process will give more time back to pilots to focus on other tasks and enhance the flying experience.”
A BETTER WAY TO FILE
Today’s pilots and aircraft operators have more than enough details to worry about, day in and day out. An incorrect APIS filing due to a typo or innocent error shouldn’t be one of those worries.
This is why the Mobile QuickClear app is a smart choice for pilots flying across U.S. borders. “After all, paying $9.99 for an accurate APIS filing via Mobile QuickClear is a lot cheaper than potentially paying an APIS-related fine,” said York.
For more information about Jeppesen Mobile QuickClear, go to jeppesen.com/MQC/AIN.
