Border Force has issued version 2.0 of its Authority to Carry Scheme guidance, dated 12 October 2026, updating contact details and clarifying the penalty matrix for carriers that transport passengers lacking the required Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or other valid permission. While the 2023 Scheme already applied to commercial airlines, the guidance emphasises that it now fully extends to General Aviation (GA) flights, including private jets frequently used by corporate executives. Carriers must transmit Advance Passenger Information to the National Border Targeting Centre and obtain electronic authority before wheels-up. Failure to secure clearance can generate per-passenger fines up to £50,000 and potential refusal of leave to enter on arrival, causing reputational fallout for charter brokers and corporate flight departments. The updated document also details an objection process and a new “Passenger Advice Line” number for real-time problem solving—critical during high-stakes medical or diplomatic movements. Annex D introduces a tiered penalty approach that takes mitigating factors such as technical outages into account but doubles fines for repeat offenders. Travel managers chartering aircraft for senior staff should ensure operators run pre-departure ETA checks and budget for additional handling time, particularly where short-notice meetings mean passports have recently changed. Failure to do so could see VIPs stranded abroad and carriers black-listed from UK slots.
