Required For ALL International Air Travel After January 23, 2007

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reminds pilots they have less than two months to obtain a passport if they plan to fly to Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, or other points in Central and South America next year.

Starting January 23, pilots will need a valid passport to enter, or re-enter, the United States under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Birth certificates and government-issued photo IDs won't work anymore. Travelers will need their passport whether they're flying in their own general aviation aircraft, or as an airline passenger.

Congress set forth the requirements for the initiative in a 2004 act. AOPA had requested that this requirement not be extended to GA until 2008, to allow the association more time to inform pilots of the changes.

The departments of Homeland Security and State announced the requirement last week as part of a broader initiative to secure US borders.

Limiting the types of documents travelers can present should make the US border more efficient, according to government officials.

FMI: Read AOPA's Passport Information Guide