Preventing the misuse of commercial aviation: Using passenger data to identify high-risk passengers and emerging threats

Commercial aviation is increasingly exploited by criminal and terrorist networks to move people and high-value illicit goods. At the same time, air travel generates structured data—particularly Passenger Name Record (PNR) and Advance Passenger Information (API)—that can support early detection and prevention. This Research in Brief presents key findings from the EU-funded TENACITy project, which addresses challenges faced by European law enforcement agencies in transforming passenger data into actionable intelligence. Drawing on literature review and practitioner input, the report outlines how aviation is misused for serious crime and highlights the operational value of passenger data. Central to TENACITy’s contribution is a Risk Management Framework (RMF) that combines behavioural indicators and explainable machine-learning models to support intelligence-led, transparent, and proportionate decision-making.