No, flight manifests are not public records. Federal privacy law protects the personal information they contain, and there is no lookup tool, agency window, or public database where an ordinary person can find out who was on a particular flight. Access is limited to specific government agencies, law enforcement acting through subpoena or court order, and parties in litigation who obtain a court order, usually under a protective agreement. The rules also shift depending on whether the flight was domestic or international, commercial or private, and how old the records are.
Why the Records Are Closed
Three overlapping legal frameworks keep passenger lists out of public hands.
The most direct protection sits in the aviation regulations themselves. Under 14 CFR 243.9, the emergency contact information airlines collect from passengers must be kept confidential and can be released only to the Department of State, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Department of Transportation. The same regulation forbids airlines from using that contact information for marketing or any commercial purpose.1eCFR. 14 CFR 243.9 – Availability and Retention of Passenger Manifest Information
When manifest data sits with a federal agency such as Customs and Border Protection, the Privacy Act of 1974 controls how it can be shared. The Privacy Act restricts agencies from disclosing records retrieved by personal identifiers without the individual’s consent, subject to narrow exceptions for law enforcement, statistical research, and other enumerated purposes.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Passenger Name Record (PNR)
Even a Freedom of Information Act request runs into a wall. FOIA Exemption 6 shields “personnel and medical files and similar files the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552 – Public Information; Agency Rules, Opinions, Orders, Records, and Proceedings Passenger names, passport numbers, and travel itineraries sit squarely inside that protection. National security considerations reinforce the barrier, since watchlist screening and border control depend on the data staying out of general circulation, and airlines treat their booking records as proprietary business information.
Who Can Access Flight Manifest Data
Law Enforcement
Federal and local law enforcement can obtain manifest data as part of criminal investigations, typically through a subpoena or court order. In routine work, FBI requests have historically focused on a single flight or the travel patterns of a specific individual rather than bulk data.4Gainesville Sun. F.B.I. Got Records on Air Travelers Grand jury subpoenas have also been used to compel airlines to produce flight records.5Wilmington Star-News. FBI Keeps All Records of Pre-9/11 Flight Data
Border Security and TSA
CBP automatically receives passenger and crew manifests for every international flight to or from the United States through the Advance Passenger Information System. Federal law requires airlines to transmit the data, and carriers must also make Passenger Name Record information available to CBP on request.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 U.S. Code 44909 – Passenger Manifests Officers use that pre-arrival data to screen travelers against watchlists and assess threats before the plane lands.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Advance Passenger Information System TSA’s Secure Flight program uses passenger data to check names against no-fly and selectee lists on both domestic and international flights.
The NTSB After an Accident
After an aviation accident, the NTSB has a statutory right to request the passenger list from the carrier involved. Federal family assistance legislation directs airlines to hand over the information so the agency can coordinate victim identification and family notification. Fire and EMS crews at the scene need a head count; agencies handling later victim accounting need names and contacts for survivors and families.8National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Guidance for Passenger List Distribution and Control Airlines are shielded from liability for sharing passenger lists during disaster response unless their conduct was grossly negligent or intentional.
Civil Litigants
Parties in a lawsuit can seek manifest information through discovery, but it takes more than a casual request. Despite the confidentiality provisions of 14 CFR 243.9, courts have held that passenger manifests are discoverable when there is adequate justification under the rules of civil procedure. In one case, a federal court ordered an airline to turn over contact information for passengers seated near the plaintiff, subject to a protective order limiting how that information could be used.9GovInfo. Xuan Thi Phan v. JetBlue Airways Corp. – Order Re: Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel The protective order is the key. Courts balance the need for evidence against passenger privacy and almost always require a confidentiality agreement before releasing names.
How to Request Flight Manifest Information
FOIA Requests
If a federal agency holds the records, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request. CBP accepts FOIA requests through its SecureRelease online portal, where you can request your own international travel records, apprehension or detention records, and agency information such as policies and communications.10U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Request Records Through the Freedom of Information Act The NTSB accepts FOIA requests online or by mail and recommends checking its website first to see if the information is already publicly available.11National Transportation Safety Board. About NTSB FOIA Requests
The practical reality: FOIA requests for other people’s manifest data are almost always denied. Exemption 6 protects passenger privacy, and additional exemptions cover law enforcement and national security material. You will have better luck requesting your own travel records or seeking non-personal information like flight statistics or investigation reports. Any FOIA request should include the specific flight number, date, and a clear description of what you are asking for.
Subpoenas and Court Orders
If you need manifest information for a legal proceeding, an attorney can issue a subpoena to the airline or the relevant government agency. This is the most reliable route for obtaining another person’s flight records, but it requires an active case and a demonstrated legal need. Courts weigh relevance against privacy, and disclosure almost always comes with restrictions on how the information can be used or shared.
Your Own Travel History
If you just need your own records, you do not need FOIA or a lawyer. CBP’s I-94 website lets you look up your most recent arrival record going back to 1983 for most admission classes and view your U.S. arrival and departure history for the past ten years. The travel history tool is informational rather than an official legal record, but it is free and immediate. Airlines also keep booking records that you can access through your frequent flyer account or by contacting customer service.
Private and Charter Flights
Private aircraft follow different rules, and the distinction matters. For domestic flights within the United States, private aircraft generally do not file passenger manifests with any federal agency. There is no equivalent of Secure Flight or APIS for a Cessna flying from Dallas to Denver.
International flights are another matter. The pilot of any private aircraft arriving in or departing from the United States must electronically transmit a notice of arrival and individual manifest data to CBP at least 60 minutes before departure from a foreign location. For emergency diversions to U.S. airports where the flight was not originally headed here, the deadline shrinks to 30 minutes before arrival, and CBP weighs the emergency circumstances when evaluating compliance.12U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP Private Air APIS Guide These requirements apply only to flights crossing the U.S. border, not to overflights of foreign airspace where the plane departs and returns to the United States without landing abroad.
Historical Passenger Records
Older records follow different rules than modern manifests, and some are public. The National Archives holds passenger arrival records for ships and aircraft arriving in the United States from roughly 1820 through December 1982. Records older than 75 years are fully public, and many have been digitized by partner organizations such as Ancestry.com. Records still within the 75-year restriction window require a FOIA request.13National Archives. Passenger Arrival Records
For arrivals after December 1982, records are held by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rather than the National Archives and must be requested through the USCIS FOIA program. Original paper records for many post-1957 arrivals were destroyed after being microfilmed, so the film copies held by the National Archives are the only surviving versions. A request needs the passenger’s full name, exact date of arrival, port or airport of arrival, and the airline or vessel name.13National Archives. Passenger Arrival Records
How Long Airlines Keep the Records
Airlines do not hold passenger records forever. Federal regulations require certificated air carriers to retain basic passenger traffic data for two years. After that window, the airline has no obligation to preserve the records, and obtaining them through legal process becomes impossible if they have been deleted. Government agencies such as CBP retain data longer under their own schedules, but the airline’s copy is often the most detailed and the first to disappear. If you anticipate needing manifest information for litigation or any other purpose, moving quickly is the difference between a discoverable record and one that no longer exists.