Latest news with #securitycheckpoints
Geek Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
CLEAR to launch biometric ‘eGates' at Seattle airport to speed security in time for World Cup
CLEAR eGates match a traveler's facial image with their identity document and boarding pass. (CLEAR Photo) Security company CLEAR is partnering with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to launch new biometric 'eGates' at select airports across the country, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, to ease bottlenecks at security checkpoints ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The public-private partnership comes at no cost to taxpayers, CLEAR said in a news release on Tuesday. The automated eGates — available to CLEAR+ members who opt in — are designed to conduct real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler's facial image with their identity document and boarding pass. Once identity is confirmed, a traveler passes the gate and proceeds to physical screening, bypassing the TSA podium. 'It's fully integrated. It's one step. And the total transaction time should be between three and six seconds,' CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker told Axios. CLEAR is implementing the eGate pilot program at three U.S. airports to start this month before a wider nationwide rollout. (CLEAR Image) CLEAR says that it transmits only limited data (live photo, boarding pass, ID photo used for enrollment and identity information), and that it has no access to watchlists, cannot override TSA gate decisions, and does not manually open gates. The pilot program debuts Tuesday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), next week at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), and the week of Aug. 31 at Sea-Tac Airport (SEA). CLEAR plans to expand eGate implementation across more than 30 airports in the next year, according to The Points Guy. More than 20 million international visitors are expected to fly to the U.S. for the World Cup soccer tournament next year, and Seattle is hosting six matches. Adoption of biometrics and facial recognition technology is becoming more commonplace in air travel. A handful of airlines at Sea-Tac offer customers the option of using TSA's PreCheck Touchless ID. CLEAR+ is a paid membership program that costs $209 per year. Previously:
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
TSA ends shoe removal rule nationwide effective immediately
You no longer need to take your shoes off at airport security. Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, announced in a press conference on Tuesday that the long-standing policy requiring most passengers to remove their shoes at TSA checkpoints nationwide is no longer in effect. 'TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoint," Noem said at the press conference. The change had been previously reported by other news organizations but was not initially confirmed by the TSA. According to Noem, the new policy goes into effect immediately. TSA officials previously said that the agency regularly adjusts its screening procedures based on a real-time threat assessment, technologies available at each checkpoint and other considerations. 'Everything the TSA does and requires of travelers has always been necessary, but they have advanced over the years,' Noem said. 'We have made advancements in how we screen individuals.' The shoe removal policy was initially put into place in 2006 in response to a December 2001 attempt by an airline passenger to conceal a bomb in his shoe. Since 2006, most travelers at airport checkpoints in the U.S. have had to remove their shoes as part of the standard security screening, but there were a number of exceptions. One of the major perks of the TSA's Precheck Trusted Traveler program is the ability to leave your shoes on at security checkpoints. Some airports with the latest technology have also quietly started allowing travelers to keep their shoes on, even in the standard security screening lane. Still, these decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and were not a blanket policy of the TSA. 'We've gone back and looked at our security processes, looked at the efficacy of everything we do," Noem said, and suggested that overall, the shoe removal policy was no longer an especially effective tool for screening passengers. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 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@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: You'll be able to keep your shoes on at airport security
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screening
Nearly 20 years after airline passengers were first required to remove their shoes for security, the policy is being phased out. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is planning to allow passengers to keep their shoes on when they go through the general security line at many major airports across the country, two sources told ABC News. An unexpected memo went out to TSA officers across the country last week stating the new policy will allow all passengers to keep their shoes on in all screening lanes at many airports across the country, starting Sunday. MORE: TSA sets new single-day record with more than 3 million travelers at airport security The goal is to roll the new policy out to all U.S. airports shortly, according to the memo. Previously, only passengers in the TSA PreCheck line were able to keep their shoes on in most cases. The transportation agency has spent years looking for an innovative way to allow passengers to move faster through the security checkpoints. Passengers who trigger the alarm at the scanners or magnetometers, however, will be required to take their shoes off for additional screening, according to the memo. MORE: 1st look at new TSA self-service screening lane and how it could improve airport travel This is a major shift since TSA began requiring passengers to take their shoes off in 2006. The policy came five years after Richard Reid tried to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami with explosives packed in his shoes. The explosives failed to detonate and Reid was held down by fellow passengers and the flight crew. ABC News has reached out to TSA for a comment.
The Herald
02-07-2025
- The Herald
Security changes at OR Tambo International Airport, passengers urged to arrive earlier
Changes have been implemented at security checkpoints at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport which caused long queues on Tuesday. The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) confirmed "operational disruptions" and said it was working to restore normal service levels. In an update late on Tuesday afternoon, Acsa said: "Domestic operations have largely stabilised, while an incoming shift has been deployed to bolster capacity and assist international travellers. We anticipate full operational capacity will be restored by Wednesday morning. "Travellers are advised to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure for domestic flights and three hours for international flights to allow adequate time for processing. " We encourage all passengers to proceed to the security screening areas immediately after check-in to avoid delays." Acsa, which did not explain what changes have been implemented, said it did not affect other airports. TimesLIVE
