IATA Air Passenger Survey

IATA Travel Centre -- https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/

From a practical standpoint, when you take an international flight and the clerk runs your passport they are running it with IATA to determine if you have met the requirements to make the trip (visa, how much time left on passport, etc

Not exactly. IATA is a trade and lobbying organization representing the airlines. It is a private organization. It has no legal right to look at anyone's documents.

When an airline agent checks to make sure you have the proper documents, he is not checking your information with IATA, he is checking them with the guidelines put out by IATA. IATA is now trying to offer a digital solution to airlines so that a gate or ticket agent can swipe your passport to make sure it meets the guideines required for your trip. Less human error. The data is not actually shared with IATA.

I should have said using IATA software? How much info IATA confiscates from the system, I have no idea. The EU is pretty strict on such things so my guess is none. They don't need much info ... an adult flying on a US passport with 6 months on it wants to go to Azerbaijan ... confirm he has visa. During covid it was a lot more complicated but IATA did a good job.

And they have gone portable:

Timatic Mobile: Document scanning in an airport
Users: airport staff, ground handling agents, security crew

Timatic Mobile app for both iOS and Android allows airport agents to perform document checks wherever they go using their own smartphones. It’s mostly used for quick checks at boarding, helping agents detect any issues without having to distinguish between various travel documents.

The app scans travel documents (passports, visas, national ID cards, seaman books, residence permits) and boarding passes via a smartphone camera, crosschecks collected information with Timatic databases and notifies agents of the results. It then walks them through possible solutions.

Their words, either poorly written like my first post or you passport information is going to IATA headquarters.

These things have glitches.

On Wednesday, I flew from JFK to LHR. At JFK, all they wanted was to take my photo. It did and showed my name and seat number. No one looked at my passport. I had scanned it into my fight info on the airline app.

At LHR, the egates wouldn't work for me. I was surprised as the passport was new and had worked twice before. The Border Force officer said there was a chip problem. I pressed a little further and he said the information "reported"--I'm guessing by the airline--didn't match my passport. He waved me through but I can only think the self scan of my passport on my phone must have had a glitch.

Or there could really be a problem with the chip. We'll see what happens the next time I enter the country.

Similar in that it's technology gone bad, but you had issues with government systems, IATA is private. But, it could some day make your life a mess if it glitches.

The IATA also has a site where travelers (and tourists) can check their travel requirements. Since it is run by IATA I assume it is using the same database as provided to the airlines by IATA, so if you pass this test you should have no problems at the airport.

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/?_gl=1*5g2h3r*_ga*NjkxMjM0MzM5LjE2OTc4MDI2MzQ.*_ga_PLLG1EY0X0*MTY5Nzg4MzE4My4zLjEuMTY5Nzg4MzI3MS4zMi4wLjA.

I put in some made up information on a trip from the US to Azerbaijan to see what would come out. I knew it would catch the need for a visa, but despite trying to put in passing information, it caught an issues I had not known about. I put in April 1 for the passport expiration and that was too soon based on staying in Azerbaijan until December 13. I know the post is long, but wanted you to see the type of information you get back. Useful

Summary
*No, the documentation you hold is NOT sufficient for the journey you have specified.**
Type: Critical
Passport Azerbaijan
Passport required.
Document Validity:
Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for at least 4 months beyond the period of intended stay.
Type: Critical
Visa Azerbaijan
Visa required.
Visa Issuance:
E-visas can be obtained before departure at https://evisa.gov.az/en/
Purchase Visa Online
Type: Ok
Health Azerbaijan
This information is for guide purposes only. Other health organisations may recommend alternative precautions.
Vaccinations not required.
Recommended:
Malaria prophylaxis: malaria risk, exclusively due to P. vivax, from June to October in lowland areas, mainly in the area between the Kura and Arax rivers. There is no malaria transmission in Baku city (the capital city). No locally acquired cases were reported in 2013. Recommended prevention in risk areas: A.
The WHO recommended type of prevention is referred to as:
- Type A (very limited risk of malaria transmission) - Mosquito bite prevention only.
- Type B (risk of non-falciparum malaria) - Mosquito-bite prevention plus chloroquine or doxycycline or atovaquone-proguanil or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis.
- Type C (risk of P. falciparum malaria) - Mosquito-bite prevention plus atovaquone-proguanil or doxycycline or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis.
Chemoprophylaxis should be started preferably one week before departure and no later than the first day of exposure; it must be taken with unfailing regularity and continued for 4 weeks after the last exposure. No prophylactic regimen is 100% protective against infection, but even if it fails to prevent the disease it may, nevertheless, render the infection milder and less life threatening.
Type: Critical
Visa Turkiye
Visa required.
TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Passengers transiting through Ankara (ESB), Antalya (AYT), Istanbul: Metropolitan Area (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW), or Izmir (ADB) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.
TWOV in Antalya (AYT) does not apply when transiting between terminals 1 and 2.
Type: Ok
Health Turkiye
This information is for guide purposes only. Other health organisations may recommend alternative precautions.
Vaccinations not required.*