Recommended Practice 1719b – Passenger Reconcile List (PRL)

Recommended Practice 1719b (Passenger Services Conference, IATA) is the industry recommended practice that standardises the Passenger Reconcile List (PRL). The PRL is a Type B teletype message generated from the departure-control system that supplies passenger-level reconciliation data after check-in has been completed, enabling central systems and downstream processes to confirm which passengers were accepted, boarded, or otherwise accounted for on the flight. It appears in the Passenger Services Conference Resolutions Manual (PSCRM) as part of the 1719-series family of post-check-in / flight-close messages, immediately after the Frequent Traveller List (RP 1719a).

Origin, Status, and Relationship to Other Standards

Passenger and baggage reconciliation is a fundamental security and operational requirement. ICAO Annex 17 and national regulations require that operators do not transport the baggage of passengers who are not on board the aircraft unless the baggage has been subjected to additional security controls. IATA addresses the detailed procedures in RP 1739 (Passenger/Baggage Reconciliation Procedures). The PRL provides the corresponding passenger-side data feed that supports those procedures and related post-flight accounting and audit functions.

It belongs to the same close-out messaging family as:

• RP 1719 Passenger Final Sales Message (PFS) – numeric final sales and no-show/go-show summary.
• RP 1719a Frequent Traveller List (FTL) – elite/frequent-flyer passengers.
• RP 1719c Electronic Ticket List (ETL).
• RP 1719d Ticketless Product List (TPL).
• RP 1719e Additional Service List (ASL).

All of these messages share the same generation trigger (completion of check-in / flight close-out) and Type B infrastructure. The PRL focuses specifically on passenger reconciliation status rather than on sales totals, loyalty data, ticket images or ancillary services.

The practice is Type B (recommended) and of indefinite duration.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the PRL is to provide a structured list that allows the airline’s central systems (and, where configured, handling or security systems) to reconcile the final passenger picture of the flight. Typical information supports:

• Confirmation of which passengers were checked in and/or boarded.
• Identification of discrepancies between the reservation/PNL picture and the final DCS picture.
• Support for passenger/baggage reconciliation processes (cross-referenced with RP 1739).
• Post-flight audit, security and operational reporting.

Scope is limited to passenger-level reconciliation data for the flight (or flight segment) as recorded by the DCS at close-out. It does not replace the full baggage-reconciliation messaging (BSM and related messages under RP 1745) or the detailed security procedures of RP 1739; it supplies the passenger-side list needed to complete the reconciliation picture.

Technical Structure and Message Content

The PRL follows standard IATA Type B conventions:

• Address Element and Communications Reference Element.
• Message Identifier: PRL.
• Flight identification (airline, flight number, date, origin).
• Passenger entries carrying the data elements required for reconciliation (name, status indicators, and any airline-configured identifiers such as boarding sequence, seat, or unique passenger reference).
• End Element (with part numbering for multi-part messages when required).

The precise element set and status codes are defined in the Recommended Practice and implemented through airline-specific configuration in the DCS. Name construction follows the same principles used across the DCS passenger-message suite (RP 1707b).

Implementation in Airline Operations

Generation
The DCS automatically produces the PRL at flight close-out—the same logical point used for the PFS, FTL and other 1719-series messages.

Addressing
The message is sent to the airline-designated reconciliation, reservations, security or operational-control address. When a flight is handled by a ground handler, the handler’s DCS still generates the PRL to the operating carrier’s designated address.

Downstream use

• Reconciliation systems use the list to confirm the final boarded passenger set.
• Security and audit functions use it to support passenger/baggage matching and regulatory reporting.
• Operational and revenue systems may use it as a definitive post-flight passenger status feed.

Relationship to RP 1739
RP 1739 defines the operational procedures and definitions (Reconciled Baggage, Not Seen Baggage, UNAC, RUSH, UNAR, etc.). The PRL supplies the passenger-side data that those procedures rely upon, ensuring that the DCS and central systems share a consistent view of who was accepted and boarded.

Relationship to the Broader 1719-Series Family

Airlines configure which combination of these messages they require according to their system architecture and regulatory environment.

Benefits

• Security and compliance – Supports passenger/baggage reconciliation obligations under ICAO Annex 17 and national rules, working in tandem with RP 1739.
• Operational integrity – Provides a definitive post-close passenger status list for audit and discrepancy resolution.
• Ground handlers – Standard method to report reconciliation data to the operating carrier.
• Industry – Consistent Type B format that every major DCS can generate and every airline reconciliation process can consume.

Auditability and Compliance

Compliance is demonstrated by:

• Generation at the correct flight-close trigger.
• Accurate reflection of the final DCS passenger status (checked-in, boarded, etc.).
• Correct delivery to the airline-designated address.
• Retention of message logs in accordance with airline and regulatory record-keeping requirements.
• Consistency with the passenger/baggage reconciliation procedures defined in RP 1739.

Conclusion

Recommended Practice 1719b – Passenger Reconcile List (PRL) provides the standardised Type B mechanism for transmitting passenger-level reconciliation data from the departure-control system after check-in has been completed. By supplying a structured list of passenger status information at flight close-out, it supports security-driven passenger/baggage reconciliation (RP 1739), post-flight audit, and central-system integrity. It remains an integral member of the 1719-series close-out messages and continues to be generated by modern DCS platforms as part of the industry’s standard post-departure messaging suite.

Sources include the IATA PSCRM listing for RP 1719b, the structural relationship of the 1719-series messages, RP 1739 Passenger/Baggage Reconciliation Procedures, ICAO Annex 17 principles, and standard industry practice for post-check-in reconciliation messaging. Full proprietary specifications reside in the Passenger Services Conference Resolutions Manual.