The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday began a pilot program at four airports that allows select passengers to receive expedited screening at checkpoints in return for submitting to more rigorous background checks to see if an intelligence-driven, risk-based screening passenger screening program can be implemented more widely.
Passengers approved to participate in PreCheck could receive a number of benefits at the checkpoint that no one currently does, including no longer having to remove shoes, a lightweight jacket, belt, laptop computer from a carrying case, and the 3-1-1 compliant bag from a carry-on bag. TSA will maintain random and unpredictable screening measures for PreCheck participants just as it does with all travelers passing through airport security checkpoints.
In addition to experiencing fewer hassles at airport checkpoints, PreCheck members are expected to pass through security at faster rates.
Focusing fewer resources on lower risk passengers means that TSA plans to pay more attention to potentially riskier travelers.
“As TSA moves further away from a one-size-fits-all approach, our ultimate goal is to provide the most effective security in the most efficient way possible,” TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement yesterday. “By learning more about travelers through information they voluntarily provide, and combining that information through our other layers of security, we can focus more resources on higher-risk and unknown passengers. This new screening system holds great potential to strengthen security while significantly enhancing the travel experience whenever possible for passengers.”
The four airports participating in the PreCheck pilot are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Miami International. Travelers eligible to participate in PreCheck include certain frequent fliers from Delta and American Airlines, and members from Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs Global Entry, SENTRI and NEXUS who are United States citizens and are flying on participating airlines.
TSA has said that if the pilot program is successful, it will expand it to other airlines, and other airports that participate in Global Entry. The agency hasn’t set a timeline on when any expansion will begin although Pistole has said previously that if PreCheck goes well then additional roll outs can be expected during 2012.
Passengers participating in PreCheck will have information embedded in the barcode of their boarding pass, which will be read at checkpoints to determine of the passenger will be referred to the expedited security screening lane.
For travelers who have been cleared to participate in PreCheck, TSA will continue to conduct intelligence-driven risk assessments each time a participant books a flight for domestic travel on the participating airlines flying out of the participating airports.
An intelligence-driven risk assessment is conducted each time an opted-in participant books a reservation for domestic travel on the participating airlines flying out of the participating airports.
In addition to continued random security measures for PreCheck participants, they will still be subject to other layers of security such as behavior detection.