First Name Unknown (FNU) and Handling of Irregular Passenger Names
In compliance with IATA AIRIMP (Airline Industry Reservations Interline Message Procedures) standards, specific rules are in place for handling passenger records where names are incomplete or irregular. This includes cases where a traveler has no family name, no given name, or only a single name as shown on their travel document.
To ensure consistency across booking portals, airline systems, and immigration authorities, IATA prescribes the use of the placeholder “FNU” (First Name Unknown) in certain fields. Proper application of this standard minimizes errors in booking creation, ticketing, interline messaging, and security checks.
No Family Name
If the passenger does not have a family name:
Use the given name(s) in the last name field.
Add FNU (First Name Unknown) in the first name field.
Example:
Passport shows PRINCE only → Enter as PRINCE FNU.
Passport shows MARY JO only → Enter as MARYJO FNU.
No Given Names
If no given names (first and middle) are indicated:
Initials should be included when possible.
If a given name is entirely missing:
Enter the surname as usual.
Add FNU (First Name Unknown) in the given name field.
Example: GONZALES FNU.
Additional Note on FNU and Name Formatting
While the use of FNU (First Name Unknown) has already been announced to the industry, it is always best to coordinate with the Connect Team for clarifications.
Certain passports only display a single NAME field, which makes it difficult to determine whether the entry should be treated as a first name or a last name. In other cases, passports may show both fields but leave either the first name or last name blank. These scenarios can cause challenges in booking and ticketing.
It is imperative to note that some airlines may apply stricter policies on name formats than others. For this reason, affiliates must check and verify airline-specific requirements before creating a booking, to avoid ticketing issues or ADMs.
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