Latest news with #TSAPrecheck
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
You need a REAL ID to fly in a plane starting May 7 — except in 5 states
Starting tomorrow, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at U.S. airports will no longer accept state-issued IDs that are not REAL ID-compliant at TSA checkpoints. Before boarding domestic flights, all airline passages ages 18 and older must to present REAL ID-compliant identification or another approved ID, such as a passport, a passport card, or a U.S. Department of Defense ID. The new rule also applies to TSA Precheck members. As opposed to a standard state IDs, REAL IDs are a valid form of federal identification. Massachusetts residents can check the top right corner of their driver's license or Mass ID for a star, which distinguishes the ID as REAL ID-compliant. Five states — Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont — issue Enhanced Driver's Licenses and Enhanced IDs, which are also valid alternatives to a REAL ID. Travelers who cannot provide one of the approved IDs will likely be subject to delays and additional screenings, and may not be admitted past the security checkpoint. You can view the full list of approved IDs on the TSA website. Under the new regulations, citizens will also need a REAL ID to access federal government buildings, military installations and nuclear power plants. REAL ID requirements differ by state. In Massachusetts, residents can acquire a REAL ID by providing a birth certificate or passport and verifying their social security number with a social security card or W-2. They also must show proof of Massachusetts residence, such as a lease, mortgage, or utility bill. Residents can start the REAL ID application process online by visiting the RMV's Online Service Center and scheduling an in-person appointment at a RMV Service Center of AAA branch (for AAA members). The latest from MassLive Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airport officials consider privatizing TSA screening duties at T.F. Green
Passengers wait at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at T.F. Green International Airport on Nov. 1, 2024, between 5:01 and 5:35 a.m. (Courtesy photo from the Rhode Island Airport Corporation) State airport officials claim the wait for passengers to get through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport is taking too long, and they might have a solution: Replace the federal officers with private security workers. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) filed a petition on April 25 to join the TSA's Screening Partnership Program, which allows use of private screening contractors for airport security. Airport spokesperson Bill Fischer confirmed the application after the move was first reported by WPRI-12 Tuesday. A copy of the petition was not immediately made available. Fischer said the recommendation came from Virginia-based consultant Studdiford Technical Solutions after RIAC hired the firm last November to analyze increasing passenger numbers and 'unusually long checkpoint lines' officials noticed the month prior. 'We have in fact seen unacceptable and increased lines and wait times that have become a concern for the board and management team,' Fischer said in a statement. 'In anticipation of sustained higher passenger volumes, we feel it is important to evaluate every option.' Fischer said airport officials are only exploring the option and have not made any final decision on the matter. Even if the TSA were to approve the petition, Fischer said the federal agency would retain oversight and continue to set security standards at T.F. Green. The head of the union representing New England's TSA officers called RIAC's justification for pursuing the possibility of privatizing screening 'ridiculous.' 'That's not a reason to privatize,' Mike Gayzagian, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2617 headquartered in Boston, said in an interview. 'Wait times are fluid.' Since the start of 2025, TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez said 100% of all standard lane screenings at T.F. Green remained under the agency's projected peak wait of half an hour. The longest wait time in the last month was at 27 minutes, according to TSA data obtained by Rhode Island Current. The average maximum wait travelers experienced in April was 10 minutes. Travelers who used TSA Precheck had an average maximum wait time of five minutes last month. The average wait time nationally is just over four-and-a-half minutes and a little more than two minutes for those who've pre-checked. TSA tracks the data by handing a yellow card to the last passenger in line at the top, middle and bottom of the hour. Those passengers hold the card until they get up to an airport's X-ray, Velez explained in an email Thursday. An officer will then add all of the time up and average out the wait time for that hour. Federal officers may also use closed-circuit television to track how long passengers wait to be screened. Velez said travels may see long wait times due to rescheduled flights or staffing shortages. T.F. Green has roughly TSA 170 officers, but Velez declined to state how many vacancies there are citing security reasons. 'We work closely with our airport and airline partners to be able to project the busiest times of the day and make sure we are prepared,' Velez said in an emailed statement. Fischer acknowledged TSA has worked out some of the performance issues and that wait times in April have improved quite significantly. 'We will continue to monitor this situation and make recommendations that are in the best interest of our passengers,' he said in an email. So far, half of Rhode Island's congressional delegation has expressed opposition to RIAC's privatization proposal. U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, whose congressional district includes the Warwick airport, said he has concerns about shifting duties away from the TSA. 'Privatizing security services at T.F. Green is not in the best interest of Rhode Island travelers or local workers who keep the airport safe and running smoothly,' Magaziner said in a statement to Rhode Island Current. 'As a frequent traveler at T.F. Green I see no apparent need to make such a change.' U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said privatizing TSA duties could undermine safety and staffing at T.F. Green. 'We are fortunate to have a great airport, but the idea of privatization strikes me as the wrong approach,' he said in a statement. 'I worked to ensure the airport got technology upgrades to make the security process more efficient and I also provide oversight to ensure TSA is accountable and reimburses the airport as needed.' The TSA has 60 days to review RIAC's petition to privatize screening duties. If approved, Fischer said existing transportation security officers would have the option to apply to be a screener under whatever private security firm airport officials would contract. But Gayzagian said going private can come with a lesser salary and fewer benefits. TSA officers can make between $65,000 and $70,000 a year with a benefits package of health, dental and vision, and life insurance. 'Who do they expect to come to take those jobs?' Gayzagian said. Gayzagian also claimed that privatized officers would have fewer worker protections compared to their federal said that contracted screeners at other airports that have chosen to privatize TSA duties have unionized. Sure, worker organization is possible, Gayzagian said. 'They'd have to start from scratch,' he added. TSA screens passengers at more than 430 federalized, commercial airports nationwide. Twenty-one airports, including Kansas City, Orlando and San Francisco have opted into the TSA Screening Partnership Program. The only New England airport participating is Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, which joined in 2014. TSA officers continue to run checkpoints at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut and Boston Logan International Airport, where Massport spokesperson Benjamin Crawley said there are no intentions at this time to privatize. 'We have a great relationship with our TSA partners,' Crawley said in an email. RIAC's decision to explore privatization comes after rumors that airport officials sought to privatize its police force rather than hire sworn officers. Airport officials signed a five-year contract last October with Illinois-based Andy Frain Services for $5.5 million to provide workers who would inspect security badges, inspect vehicles entering restricted areas, and manage traffic outside the terminal. Fischer reiterated that RIAC has no plans to replace its police or fire departments with private contractors. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Real ID travel requirement goes in effect May 7: What Coloradans should know
DENVER (KDVR) — The countdown is on for Colorado travelers. On May 7, passengers will need a Real ID symbol on their driver's license or other form of acceptable identification to get through airport security. Those without proper identification may face delays, additional screening, or not being allowed into the security checkpoint. Layover, delayed flight at DIA? Unique things to see in every concourse FOX31 found many travelers at Denver International Airport had questions about Real ID requirements. 'I don't know what is it for,' said one concerned airline passenger. The Real ID Act is the result of the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government set standards for issuing identification. A Transportation Security Administration spokesperson told FOX31 that Colorado, which has been compliant with the act since 2013, maintains a high compliance rate. The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles has examples of a Real ID license, which features a star on the front in the upper corner, on its website. To be eligible to receive a Real ID, applicants must provide proof of identity, lawful presence, Colorado residency and a social security number, even if you transfer your Real ID from another state. The DMV provides identification requirement charts and a new to Colorado page for more information. Comparisons give perspective of just how big the Denver International Airport is The TSA website states that a temporary driver's license is not an acceptable form of identification but you can use other forms of ID. A TSA spokesperson told FOX31 that TSA currently accepts compliant identification up to a year after the expiration date. Real ID rules apply to everyone, including those who have TSA Precheck. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
16-04-2025
- USA Today
Shoes on, laptop out? Why TSA rules change from airport to airport
Shoes on, laptop out? Why TSA rules change from airport to airport | Cruising Altitude Show Caption Hide Caption What you need to know about airport security rules and checkpoints Here are TSA rules that you need to know and what to expect at each airport checkpoint. TSA airport security procedures vary, sometimes even within the same airport. Variability in procedures is part of a risk-based security approach. Passengers should heed TSA officer instructions for efficient and speedy screening. It can be frustrating to go through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint and find that the routine has changed. Even as a very frequent traveler with TSA Precheck, I'm sometimes caught off-guard by what the agents tell me to do. In Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, for example, I can leave my shoes on and my laptop in my bag. But at Terminal 1, I need to take my laptop out before my luggage goes through the X-ray machine. It turns out, this is partly by design. 'One thing that is a pretty frequent moniker here, 'when you've seen one airport, you've seen one airport.' They're all so very different,' Carter Langston, Press Secretary for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at the TSA told me. 'When you talk about airport security screening at the checkpoint, TSA really does have a risk-based intelligence-driven, multiple layers of security, both seen and unseen.' As confusing as it can be, the variability at different airports is part of the security apparatus. Shoes: on or off? The shoe thing can be especially frustrating because finding a place on the far side of the security to sit down with all your stuff and re-tie your shoes isn't always easy. TSA touts the ability to leave your shoes on as a major perk of PreCheck, but most travelers still have to go through the screening in their (hopefully) stocking feet, and even the Trusted Travelers among us occasionally get caught out by procedure changes. Still, Langston said, sometimes everyone at a checkpoint gets lucky. 'We have K-9s, and they're able to detect explosives. Sometimes K-9s will be used to screen passengers,' he said. 'People being able to keep the shoes on in standard screening lanes, a lot of times that was because there was a K-9 doing a sweep of the line and didn't flag on anything that was detected ... There was a degree of risk tolerance there to say that the standard screening passengers can go through with shoes on to get through faster.' Decisions about when and how to deploy assets like sniffer dogs and what their presence means for security procedures are often left up to local TSA leadership, known as Federal Security Directors, at each airport, according to Langston. Laptop and liquids: in or out? It's not quite as difficult as re-tying my shoes with a line of people breathing down my neck for a spot on the bench, but it is also kind of frustrating having to take stuff out of my bag and then repack it on the rolling belt at the end of the X-ray machine. TSA has been working on introducing new technology to make it easier for all travelers to leave liquids and electronics in their bags. For now, that privilege is often still relegated to TSA PreCheck members, and even then, it doesn't always apply. Last week's Cruising Altitude: $9 for water and pretzels? Why airport prices are ridiculous. The latest generation of TSA screening machines uses a technology called computed tomography that gives agents a more comprehensive look at what's inside the bag, without requiring unpacking. 'The computed tomography units really do allow us to change the way, if you will, things are left in the bags.' Langston said. 'In those instances where computed tomography hasn't made it yet, we'll have to have passengers take things out.' How to prepare for TSA If you're unsure of what to expect at a TSA checkpoint, the agency has a webpage dedicated to the basics of its security screening process. It's good to double check your boarding pass to make sure your PreCheck shows up if you're eligible, and to familiarize yourself with what you are and are not allowed to bring with you through a TSA checkpoint in general. Still, the agency acknowledges that it regularly adapts its procedures based on the specific airport and the overall global security environment, so the exact requirements may vary by airport and terminal, and sometimes day-to-day. Langston said the best advice is to listen up. 'It's so important that passengers really do take time and listen to the instructions the officers are trying to give, because a lot of time what the officers are doing is to try and get everyone through the checkpoint with the greatest amount of efficiency and speed,' he said. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OKC Will Rogers International Airport preps for Global Entry appointments April 14-15
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – On Thursday, OKC travelers can experience a streamlined process by applying for a new traveler program called Global Entry enrollment, says City leaders. The Global Entry enrollment is set to be overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the interview process starting at OKC Will Rogers International Airport on April 14 and 15. The two-day event is an authorized program for passengers who fly internationally more than four times a year according to airport officials. Dow drops 1,400 as US stocks lead worldwide sell-off after Trump's tariffs cause a COVID-like shock 'We are grateful to have Global Entry here at OKC International Airport to create a new benefit for Oklahoma City residents and visitors,' Director of Airports Jeff Mulder said. 'With our new international flight to Cancun and more on the horizon, adding access to Global Entry enrollment continues to elevate OKC's travel offerings.' Interested Global Entry travelers must enroll online by clicking here before scheduling an interview appointment. Here is how to enroll: Create a profile and submit your application. Pay the $120 fee. You will receive an email that your application is 'Conditionally Approved.' Log into your account to schedule an appointment using the access code: 9E4NA5335. This code is only valid to schedule an appointment during the April 14 and 15 OKC Will Rogers International Airport event. Once accepted, your membership will last five years and include TSA Precheck. TSA Precheck allows people to keep their shoes, belts and light jackets on through security checkpoints and not have to remove their electronics from a carry-on bag. According to airport officials, the Global Entry membership can be used at more than 75 airports when returning to the U.S. from travel abroad. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
