As most air travelers can attest, the airport security checkpoint experience can be far from peaceful. There are many rules — often shouted down by Transportation Security Administration officials — about what you can carry, how to organize your belongings and where to stand. Lines can be excruciatingly long and tensions are high. And throughout the process, there are security officers.
But at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, a new type of security screeningannounced by the TSA on Wednesday, is led by the passenger himself.
The system, which uses video monitors, facial recognition software and body scanners, is not about shaving travel time, but about improving the overall passenger experience, said Christina Peach, a deputy assistant administrator for TSA requirements and capabilities
“Individuals want to complete the screening process at their own pace and with minimal interaction with our officers,” he said.
The new pilot program officially opens to the public on March 11. Here’s what to know.
Where is it and who can use it?
The self-service screening process, available only to travelers with TSA PreCheck clearance, will be available in two security lanes inside the “Innovation Checkpoint” at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. (The airport tests emerging technologies and new processes in six “Innovation Checkpoint” lines.)
Traditional security screening will continue to be available for passengers.
How does screening work?
As a traveler approaches the security lanes, a screen will display instructions about how to arrange personal belongings in bins and what possessions to remove (for example, electronics and belts). Using the camera feature on a small tablet, facial recognition technology will first be used to verify your identity.
Then, you go to a divestment station, the place next to the conveyor belt where you drop off your stuff and put it in a bin. There are two stations in each lane, allowing two passengers to use the lane at the same time. Video monitors at each station will play step-by-step instructions. The goal is to get one bin per passenger, Ms. Peaches.
You push your bin onto the conveyor belt, which then moves the bin to be scanned. After that, you will go through a body scanner that resembles a glass box.
If a bin is flagged, it will be routed to a different path and a TSA officer will conduct a search.
Once you’ve collected your bag, you can leave the empty bin and it will automatically return to the stack.
Are TSA officers around?
TSA personnel will still be on hand, but not as many of them will be manning the screening lane. On any given day, there are usually 10 to 15 officers working the six lanes of the Innovation Checkpoint, Ms. Peaches.
Now, some may be distant. Passengers who need additional assistance can press a button to speak to an officer via video monitor, and officers will still handle security pat-downs and additional bag checks.
How long does the screening take?
It will vary, based on the speed of the individual passenger, Ms. Peaches.
When will the pilot end? Will it transfer to another airport?
The initial pilot is expected to run for several months. Ms. emphasized Peach is a prototype and that the agency will collect data and passenger feedback.
Some elements of the system, however, may leak through checkpoints across the country, he said.
Will the future of security screening be one without any TSA officers physically present?
TSA officers will always work the security checkpoints, Ms. Peach, standing next to passengers or working in remote screening locations.
“Officers are their most valuable asset,” he said of the government agency. “It’s really about having the officer as part of the system, even if they’re not visible.”
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