1 Introduction
In the era of global travel during a time of geopolitical unrest, border control provides essential services for mitigating any corresponding risks. Everyone travelling by air has experienced the consequences of travel safety when lining up in front of border control.
Additionally, fraud is increasing, with people seeking to travel to countries without a visa, with forged visa, with forged passports and other travel documents, or with another person’s travel documents–with or without their consent. Documentary fraud and identity theft have become a common challenge. In the aviation industry, the airlines and the ground handlers are responsible for checking the travel documents and are fined if these documents are not valid. This places greater pressure on the airlines and the ground handlers to ensure travel safety and to control the flow of individuals travelling across borders. Unfortunately, this also results in increased complexity, cost, and time for the airlines and their ground handlers, unless mitigating measures are taken.
Adding solutions that verify the authenticity of travel documents, perform biometric matching, and ensure verification (using mobile devices and other technologies) help greatly to address such challenges.
Additionally, integration to Travel Information Manual Automatic (TIMATIC) and Amadeus is essential for checking information against official sources. TIMATIC is a database provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) containing documentation requirements for passengers travelling internationally by air. In practice, TIMATIC lists the documentation and requirements—for instance, regarding passports and visas—that travel agents, airlines, ground handlers and other parties must review to determine whether a passenger can be carried. Amadeus, on the other hand, is a computer reservation and global distribution system that contains information about flights and passengers. To improve the process at the checkin, systems require close integration with TIMATIC and Amadeus to ensure their information is always up-to-date.
In the aviation sector, ensuring document validity stands as a critical pillar for airlines and ground handlers. Transporting passengers with invalid or forged documents exposes companies to significant risks and penalties. Carrying individuals lacking proper visas or utilizing forged passports not only jeopardizes travel safety but also poses regulatory non-compliance issues. Airlines and their ground handlers shoulder immense responsibility for verifying travel documents, as non-compliance often results in substantial fines and potential legal repercussions. The pressure to ensure stringent document validation within the complex web of international travel regulations necessitates robust solutions. The implementation of effective document verification systems, like the Xayone platform at RAM Handling, becomes imperative to mitigate these risks, safeguard passenger safety, and uphold regulatory standards.
Xayone, a provider of Customer / Citizen Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solutionsand identity verification (including checks of ID documents) has implemented a solution for Royal Air Maroc (RAM) Handling, the company that operates the 20 national airports in Morocco including Casablanca, the HUB of Royal Air Maroc.
