THE head of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) has said that it is the job of governments - not the airlines - to verify the validity of passengers' passports to ensure border security.

Tony Tyler, the director-general and chief executive of the body which counts 240 airlines as members, said: "Airlines spend a lot of money and provide passenger information to governments all around the world, but it's beyond our ability to check (the validity of travel documents).

"It's incumbent on governments to use this information and the comprehensive database on lost and stolen passports to keep their borders secure. Why aren't they using it?"