Near the end of April, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) changed the language used in the “Notification of Receipt of Transmission” messages received in response to APIS submissions for both departure from and arrival into the U.S.  For departures in particular, the changes highlight requirements that many operators may not have been aware of.

Since the Private APIS rule was first published, it has been a requirement to transmit APIS at least 60 minutes prior to departure.  However, previous guidance from CBP had been that once the “Notification of Receipt of Transmission” was received, then the flight was cleared to depart.  The new language and guidance from CBP makes it clear that an operator cannot depart within 60 minutes of APIS submission unless they contact CBP directly and get explicit permission to do so.

The new language also puts into writing a departure window of plus or minus 60 minutes from the departure time submitted via APIS.  Operators need to be mindful of this operating window, and if they need to operate outside this window, they should get explicit permission from CBP.

For arrival into the U.S., the new language makes it clearer that the operator must secure permission to land from CBP after the APIS has been transmitted.  The operating window for arrivals can vary from airport to airport, so operators should confirm the tolerance for their permission to land when it is obtained.

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To learn more about FPI’s Compliance, Operations, Regulatory, and other Special Services Network (SSN) teams within FPI, please contact our Operations staff here at Flight Pro International.

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