The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday said it plans to partner with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on pilot programs to test risk-based passenger screening at checkpoints at select airports as early as September.
For airline passengers who are allowed to participate in the program, it means the possibility of expedited security screening, although TSA did not offer specifics on what screening procedures these people might get to forego.
The known-traveler pilot tests will begin with certain frequent fliers of Delta Air Lines and American Airlines as well as certain members of CBP’s trusted-traveler programs, Global Entry, SENTRY and NEXUS, who are United States citizens. For the Delta fliers and select CBP trusted travelers, the participating airports are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County.
For the select American Airlines fliers and CBP trusted travelers, the participating airports are Miami International and Dallas Fort Worth International.
TSA Administrator John Pistole has said several times this year he would initiate the intelligence-driven, risk-based passenger screening pilots this fall. Yesterday, he discussed more details of the pilots with aviation stakeholders.
In addition to certain travelers being selected from CBP’s trusted traveler programs, the participating airlines will invite a certain number of their frequent fliers who may then choose to opt-in to the pilot test. The volunteers will then be vetted against watchlists. TSA did not provide specific detail on the extent to how these watchlist checks will differ from existing checks that all airline passengers are subject to under Secure Flight, which requires prospective travelers to submit their name, date of birth, and gender for the vetting procedures.
An agency spokesman told Defense Daily that “If we can confirm a person’s identity and learn a little more about them through information they opt to provide, and combine that information with our other layers of security, we should be able to expedite the physical screening for many people.”
TSA said that all passengers in the pilot test are subject to recurrent security checks and random screening.
In the forthcoming pilot test, for passengers who pass the background checks, when they make a flight reservation they will have information embedded in the bar code on their boarding passes to identify them as being eligible for expedited screening. When a passenger arrives at the checkpoint and has his boarding pass scanned, he may be directed to a separate lane for expedited screening.
TSA’s announcement is welcome news for many.
“There are serious challenges and gaps in our security,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “If we continue to give extra screening to individuals who pose no threat, while others who should arouse suspicion bypass checkpoints without being questioned, our systems are clearly not working properly. I hope this effort will provide for more efficient use of the government’s limited screening resources, improve the security of travelers, and permit less intrusive and speedier screening procedures for the general public.”
The Air Transport Association, the International Air Transport Association and U.S. Travel Association said that Pistole’s announcement is a positive step toward adopting risk-based passenger screening.
“Allowing TSA to focus its finite resources on that which creates the greatest threat is both good policy and good security,” Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of ATA, said in a statement.
ATA said that as early as this week the two airlines will begin notifying select frequent fliers of their eligibility to participate in the trial. Volunteers will have to select one of the two airlines.
TSA said that the pilot will help it decide on how to move forward with risk-based, intelligence-driven security measures that would allow travelers to volunteer more information about themselves before flying.
ATA said that it if the pilot is successful it expects a second phase would include more of its member airlines.
IATA last month unveiled a mock-up of a risk-based, intelligence-driven Checkpoint of the Future concept that it believes one day will allow airline passengers to keep walking through a checkpoint as they are being screened for explosives and other threats (Defense Daily, June 14, July 11). The point of the intelligence-driven checkpoint is to look for bad people, not just bad things, which is why pre-screening passengers based on information they voluntarily submit is expected to enable TSA to better understand who poses less of a security risk and therefore would need less screening.
Pistole, in his meeting with aviation shareholders, pointed out that there will continue to be random and unpredictable security measures throughout an airport and that no person will be guaranteed expedited screening.