The country’s privacy watchdog has ruled it lawful for the personal details of passengers on flights to the United States to be given to US authorities as part of post-9/11 security checks, bringing Greece in line with other EU states.

The Authority for the Protection of Personal Data (APPD) decision made public yesterday came after Olympic Airlines had asked for approval to hand over passenger manifests, containing details such as names, telephone and passport numbers, to US authorities. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, signed into US law in November 2001, tightened regulations for passengers and airlines wishing to fly in or out of the US.

In accordance with EU guidelines, the APPD ruled that passengers must be informed that their details will be turned over to US officials and sign a waiver to that effect before they buy tickets for flights to the States.