New QuickClear app simplifies U.S. Customs and eAPIS reporting

All pilots flying across the U.S. border in either direction are required to file a report using eAPIS, which stands for Electronic Advance Passenger Information System, to notify U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) of the name and details of each person entering or leaving the country. eAPIS requires the pilot to send a manifest to CBP at least 60 minutes prior to departure.

Pilots have several options when it comes to filing this report, including the CBP website, and premium services from FlashPass and FltPlan.com. There’s now a fourth option available from Jeppesen that is worth checking out which was just released during Oshkosh, called QuickClear. This CBP-approved service was developed as a partnership between Jeppesen and Airside Mobile, the company behind the popular Mobile Passport app.

It’s important to note that unlike the Mobile Passport app for airline and cruise passengers arriving in the U.S., QuickClear for general aviation pilots is a premium service that costs $25 to file each manifest. Like the other premium services, you’re paying for convenience and pilots will find it helpful to save all passenger and crew information in one secure place to make future filings quick and easy.

You’ll find the app’s flow similar to the other eAPIS filing methods. You’ll first enter crew, passenger and trip information:

QuickClear is linked with Airside’s Mobile Passport app, so passengers and crew using that app already can quickly send their personal data and passport details right from Mobile Passport, saving the pilot time by not having to enter all the information manually. Once the flight details are complete, it takes just one tap (and $25) to send the manifest through.

While there are free (CBP website) and cheaper (Flashpass) options available, Jepp’s QuickClear is easy to use and will definitely save time for those that frequently fly across the border, especially for those flying with a different set of passengers each on each flight.