Using Blockchain to Secure Passenger Name Records and Effectively Protect Citizen Rights: Director’s Cut
Michal Koutenský, Vladimír Veselý, Martin Perešíni, Daniel Dolejška, Jan Pluskal · Distributed Ledger Technologies Research and Practice · 2025
Travel within EU is subject to a number of laws, some of which require gathering of Passenger Name Records (PNRs) by airlines, later sent to specialized police task forces called Passenger Information Units (PIUs) for processing, with the aim of prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offenses and serious crime. The TENACITy (Travel Intelligence Against Crime and Terrorism) project is developing a set of tools to aid PIUs in effectively utilizing PNR data in their work. This extended paper showcases the blockchain subsystem developed within TENACITy. It intends to provide a way to exchange PNR data between PIUs while ensuring critical features such as data confidentiality, auditability, and non-repudiation, thereby maintaining a reliable chain of custody. The system combines blockchain technology and off-chain storage to enable secure management of sensitive information, tackling data retention challenges imposed by regulations regarding sensitive citizen data. This paper contributes to the field by illustrating the practical implementation of blockchain technology for sensitive data sharing, offering insights into the system’s design, deployment challenges, and opportunities for future enhancement.