Seventeen airline companies operating in the Philippines are now connected to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) project that allows advance screening of arriving and departing passengers, including crew members.

APIS was launched last March 20 by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to enhance national security and border protection.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the BI said the airlines with APIS are Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Etihad, Kuwait Airways, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines, KLM, Thai Airways, EVA Air, Malaysian Airlines, Qantas Airways, Air Canada, Air France, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

“These carriers collectively account for 63.57 percent of nationwide flight operations, enabling broader passenger data coverage and stronger border protection,” it said.

It also said that Cebu Pacific was the first airline to connect with the APIS during the launch last March 20.

Since APIS allows the advance screening of passengers before arrival, “APIS will continue to be a vital tool in detecting and preventing the entry or exit of individuals with pending criminal cases, further bolstering the Philippines’ commitment to secure its borders and uphold the rule of law,” it added.

The APIS makes use of the United Nations (UN) goTravel Air Software Solution, a system that "tracks and assesses passenger data in real time.”

During the launch last March 20, UN Office on Counter-Terrorism Section Chief Christine Bradley said the Philippines is the seventh country implementing the program which includes Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Georgia, Moldova and Botswana.

Bradley said “this is a solution that was developed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands” and “donated to the UN so that it can be made available for all member states to ensure that they have the capabilities to collect and analyze passenger data.”

Bradley also said “we are currently working with 65 other member states to ensure that they also have these capabilities”