CAAV cracks down on passenger information leaks

CAAV will also supervise the security of flight passengers’ personal information on all domestic airlines this month.

The statement was made after passengers complained about being annoyed by taxi service operators, who kept calling to offer their services soon after passengers disembarked from the plane.

They claimed that their personal information was likely to have been leaked.

Currently, personal information of passengers, including name, gender, flight schedules and mobile numbers, is given to airlines and flight ticket agencies. The information is necessary for airlines and ticket agencies to inform passengers in case of changes in flight schedules and other flight safety issues.

The airlines conducted inspections and determined that the information was leaked by some employees of the airlines and flight ticket agencies, who supplied passengers’ information to taxi firms and hotels.

These employees were dismissed and the airlines ended their contracts with ticket agencies flouting rules.

A representative of CAAV said the leak of customers’ information has been taking place since 2013 when passengers reported receiving offers of taxi services on their mobile phones at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport and central Khenh Hoa province’s Cam Ranh International Airport.

This violation is against the regulation on keeping passengers’ information secure, annoyed passengers and affected the service quality of airlines, he said.

CAAV has sent documents requiring airlines to revise the process of entering, storing and securing personal information of passengers and provide information on the unit that could access such information and the security procedures of each airline. The results must be reported to CAAV soon.

CAAV has also encouraged customers to inform the authority via hotlines in case they receive phone calls offering taxi services.-