In a combined effort, the Department of Homeland Security and the International Air Transport Association have begun a campaign to have US-bound travelers from 35 countries around the world register online before they board their flight.
These countries include ones that don’t usually require their citizens to have visas, like the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany. The goal is to make sure that even passengers without visas will not pose a threat to the country or to other travelers.
The requirement starts on March 21, 2010, and the US Travel Association is concerned that people in those countries will not have heard about the rule before the date. The organization is hoping that the government will launch a widely-publicized statement, allowing the world to have time to catch up and make arrangements.
If airlines don’t comply to making sure each traveler has been properly registered, they could be charged up to $3,300 per person, according to USA Today.
The International Air Transport Association says that enforcing the rule now will give enough time for summer travel to go smoothly.
